Baron Browning was selected in the third round with the 105th overall pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2021 NFL Draft. A four-year player at Ohio State who didn’t redshirt, Browning played in 43 games and was a member of four consecutive Big Ten championship-winning teams.
Ohio State Overview
• Graduated with his degree in communications
• Very versatile and willing to play inside and outside linebacker as well as lining up at defensive end
• Third-team all-Big Ten Conference in 2020
• Played in 43 games with seven starts and did not red-shirt
• Totalled 110 career tackles
• Also had 18.0 TFLs and 7.0 quarterback sacks
• Three PBUs along with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries
• Played in 12 of 14 games as a junior in 2019
• His performance vs. Penn State – seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks – earned him “champion” honors from the Ohio State coaching staff
• Was selected as a champion four times during the 2019 season
• Finished the season with 43 tackles (sixth highest on the team), 10 tackles for loss (fourth highest on the team) and five sacks
• Recorded at least one tackle in all 12 games that he played in
• Member of the 2020 Butkus Award Preseason Watch List
• Made three starts during the 2018 season – vs. Oregon State, Rutgers and Purdue
• Was in on 23 tackles in 2018, including 3.5 tackles for loss
• Had 14 tackles as a true freshman in 2017, including six in a win over Maryland
• Was one of 10 from the 2017 class of recruits to enroll in classes that January
Honors & Awards
2020: Third-team All-Big Ten
More on Baron
• Was one of the top linebackers in the nation as a senior, a 5-star prospect (Rivals, 247 and Scout) who earned the No. 1 outside linebacker distinction from Rivals, 247Sports and Scout and a No. 2 ranking by ESPN
• Considered among the Top 10 players in this class by Rivals (No. 9 overall) and had a No. 11 ranking by 247Sports
• Named a U.S. Army All-American and a finalist for the 2016 high school Butkus Award as top linebacker
• Helped Kennedale, coached by Richard Barrett, to an 11-4 season in 2016 and a spot in the Texas 4A state semifinals for the first time in school history
• Was the state’s Associated Press 4A defensive player of the year with 81 tackles, 10 TFLs and 10 PBUs
• Also named Fort Worth Star Telegram all-area
• Two-time first-team all-state honoree had 74 tackles and eight TFLs as a junior and finished his career with eight forced fumbles