Brown angling to take it to next level in 2017

FOXBOROUGH — Malcom Brown played 57 percent of all defensive snaps last season for a Super Bowl winner. At 23 years old, even with just two years in the NFL, you might excuse him if at some point over the last year or so he thought he had it all figured out.

But the 6-foot-2, 320-pound defensive lineman, a first-round pick in 2015 out of Texas, isn’t too proud to lean on those around him. It’s a philosophy that has continued through the start of 2017 training camp and a sequence of practices that have seen him serve as one of the anchors in the middle of the New England defense.



“You can come out here and learn something new every day, if you put your mind to it,” he told Bostonsportsjournal.com. “You’re not too busy to think you have it all [figured] out. You learn stuff every day. My parents still learn stuff. My grandparents still learn stuff.

“There’s no way I have it all the way down — there’s always something to learn from somebody who has been here longer than I have.”

Up front, there’s been plenty of turnover. Gone are Rob Ninkovich, Chris Long and Jabaal Sheard. But if early indications ring true, then New England’s defensive front will still be able to provide a myriad of looks in 2017. The Patriots can go massive up front at defensive tackle, with Brown, veteran Alan Branch and backup Vincent Valentine all working as typical three-technique defensive linemen if New England prefers a traditional four-man front. But the continued development of ultra-versatile types like Trey Flowers and Deatrich Wise (both of whom have lined up in a variety of spots this summer, including along the interior) provide some flexibility. Grouped with the likes of newcomers Kony Ealy, Lawrence Guy and Derek Rivers, they should be able to offer plenty of different looks this season.

As for Brown, expect him to continue to hold down the middle, primarily as a two-down defender at multiple spots along the interior. While he will be asked to penetrate on occasion, he’s basically a space eater in the mold of Vince Wilfork. And while Wilfork can provide a blueprint for how to effectively do his job within the framework of the New England defense, Brown says he’s not in Wilfork’s class.

“There are no comparisons,” he says when asked about any similarities in his game with a young Wilfork. “He has a lot of accolades and was in the league for a very long time. I don’t compare myself to him or against him. I just come in here and try and do my own thing and try and come in here and better myself and try and become a good player in this league.”

As for his thoughts on this season and the ceiling for this defense? Well, it’s still early.

“Everybody is still learning and everybody is still getting their fundamentals down,” Brown said. “There’s still a lot more to learn and camp is long — I guess you never really have it all down. I’m just still working and trying to get better.”