Jaguars rookie cornerback Buster Brown ready to prove he's better than seventh rounder

As far as Montaric "Buster" Brown is concerned, the draft is in the past and every Jaguars rookie is starting from square one.

But does he still feel the sting of waiting until the final round on the third day of the draft to hear his name called?

Does it hurt that the Arkansas Razorback was the 29th cornerback selected and the 10th SEC cornerback picked?

After all, Brown led the SEC in interceptions with five. He was first-team All-SEC, something No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker of Georgia can't claim.

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Brown not only watched nine SEC corners taken ahead of him but players at that position from Fayetteville State, South Carolina State, Texas-San Antonio, Sam Houston State, Fresno State and Toledo got the call before him.

Brown wasn't even the top cornerback taken from the state of Arkansas — or the Jaguars' first choice. That distinction belongs to sixth-round pick Junior Gregory from Ouachita Baptist, an NCAA Division II team that last played the Razorbacks in 1923.

The last time an SEC cornerback who led the conference in interceptions was drafted this low was in 2005 when Mississippi State's Jeramie Johnson was undrafted after finishing in a four-way tie for the lead that season.

Two other SEC corners that season who tied for the interceptions lead were Jonathan Joseph of South Carolina, taken in the first round by Cincinnati, and Tim Jennings of Georgia, selected in the second round by Indianapolis.

Brown isn't bitter. But don't think he won't remember as he tries to buck the odds and make the team.

"I think I should have been drafted earlier but I just use it as motivation," the seventh-round cornerback said following Monday's minicamp session at TIAA Bank Field. "I'm here to work. I'm ready. I'm prepared. The draft is over and it's time to prove something at the NFL level, the highest level. I'm glad Jacksonville took the opportunity with me and I'm ready to work."

Brown (6 feet, 190 pounds) started the last 31 games of his college career at Arkansas and was one of the key players in the Razorbacks' resurgence under first-year coach Sam Pittman. Arkansas was 7-27 Brown's first three seasons but last year went 9-4 and throttled Penn State 24-10 in the Outback Bowl. Arkansas was fifth in the SEC in pass defense.

Brown fell to Round 7 mainly due to the perception that he lacked what nfl.com's draft report termed "desired top-end speed."

He ran 4.55 on the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, outside the top-10 and well behind the top time for a cornerback, the 4.23 that Baylor's Kalon Barnes clocked.

But the same nfl.com draft report had numerous other positives to say about Brown:

• "A route hound with good pattern recognition."

• "Does a solid job of smothering routes underneath."

• "Maintains feel for deep route before finding the ball."

• "Rushes up to take on blocks and upend runners."

• "A willing run supporter."

• "Soft hands to take the ball away when he's in position."

• "Attacks throws like he's a receiver, not a defender."

• "Ambidextrous ball-swatter."

Sounds like a lot of good things.

The report also said Brown may translate better to zone coverage. But his ability to recognize patterns and stay close to receivers without having elite speed might lend itself to Brown being a good slot corner in the red zone.

He's ready for whatever defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and his staff throw at him.

"To this point I'm working on getting better, day-by-day ... getting 1 percent better each day," he said. "Trying to do my job and coming to work every day. I'm ready to do anything."

Caldwell said the secondary is wide-open coming out of OTAs and heading into this week's mini-camp, and implied Brown has just as good a chance as any of the five rookie corners on the roster.

"No jobs are had right now," he said. "Everybody is out there competing, and with that room, that group, they are going to make each other better because everyone is pushing everyone to get better. The coaches are putting guys in different positions enabling them to learn the scheme. Competition breeds better teams. That’s what we want to do, let guys go out and compete and the best man stands up and he’ll play more than the guy behind him."

Caldwell also said Brown is in the thick of the hunt to get playing time at nickel.

“All of them back there," he said about the battle. "It’s so unique. All guys have different skills set and skill level, so competition is open for everybody.”

Brown also is bringing experience in turning around programs. He sees parallels between what the Jaguars are trying to do under Doug Pederson in his first season and Arkansas' turnaround.

"I went through different head coaches at Arkansas and coach Pittman came in and changed the culture," he said. "It's all about the coach having the right guys, the right coaches and the right support staff in the program. So, I definitely think we can do it here."

Brown likes Caldwell's scheme.

"He has a great plan ... he's got the blueprint," Brown said. "So it's trusting him to put us in the right position to win."

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Buster Brown is motivated by low draft status, hopes to make Jaguars