Jammal Brown First Sooner Selected in 2005 Draft

NORMAN, Okla. -- In what is expected to be a busy National Football League draft for Oklahoma players, Jammal Brown became the first player off the board when he was the first-round pick and No. 13 selection overall to New Orleans. The Saints traded up to position themselves to take Brown, a right offensive tackle.

Brown was a full-time starter for his last three years at OU and saw spot starting duty as a freshman. He was dominant in his senior season with 127 knockdown blocks, a statistic that helped propel him to the Outland Trophy as the nation's top lineman.

2005 Oklahoma NFL Draft Central

Brown a 6-6, 304-pound native of Lawton, Okla., became Oklahoma's 297th first-round pick, the eigth taken by New Orleans. He is the first Sooner offensive lineman taken in the draft since Stockar McDougle went to the Detroit Lions as the 20th overall pick in the 2000 draft.

Remarkably, Brown is the highest selection among OU offensive lineman since Stan West was the No. 8 pick by Los Angeles in 1950. Brown is the highest pick of any Sooner since safety Roy Williams was the No. 8 selection for Dallas in 2001.

New Orleans has not had an Oklahoma player on its roster since defensive back Gana Joseph was signed as a free agent in 1999. The last time the Saints drafted a Sooner was RB Lydell Carr, a fourth-round pick in 1988.

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The Saints selected 2004 Outland Trophy winner T Jammal Brown from Oklahoma after a deal that switched first round spots with Houston and sent New Orleans' third round pick in 2006 to Houston.

Brown, a consensus All-American first teamer in 2004, started every game for the Sooners at right tackle. He led the team with 103 knockdown blocks and did not allow a sack or a quarterback hurry the entire season. He was a large part of an offensive line that helped Oklahoma to 462.1 offensive yards per game.

"We were concerned with the aspect of someone else coming up and taking him," said Saints Director of Player Personnel Rick Mueller. "We went up and got the guy we wanted. We made that decision to go get him."

"He's a really good player," Mueller said about Brown. "He's a right tackle and he's really athletic at that position. I would think that some teams would say that he's athletic enough to play on the left side. For us, he'll play at right tackle. The other thing we like about him is his consistency. He just doesn't give up sacks, he doesn't look bad and he's a smooth athlete."

"I love the guy, he's the type of right tackle we were looking for," Saints Coach Jim Haslett said. "He's a big guy, he has great size, great strength, a mauler-type. (He is) more of a right tackle, though he could probably play left tackle because he's a very athletic. You very rarely ever see him lose a battle. He hustles, runs down the field all the time, I think he's given up one sack in the last two years. He looks effortless doing it. I don't know if it's the competition he's playing with, or if that's just him. He looks like Jonathan Ogden to me, in his style of play...

New Orleans Saints Release on Brown | NFL Draft Profile

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Jammal Brown First Sooner Selected in 2005 Draft

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