Brown Made His Way, Now He's Ready For His Day

The Charlotte, NC, native spent three seasons in Chapel Hill, grabbing 123 receptions for 2,306 yards and 21 touchdowns, before opting out of the Orange Bowl last December and declaring for the NFL Draft.

Brown came to North Carolina in January 2018 as a prized 4-star recruit in former head coach Larry Fedora’s final recruiting class, playing 369 snaps and catching 17 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown that season.

It was a freshman year full of learning curves, but boy did he learn.

The 2019 season was a breakout one for Brown as he racked up 1,034 yards on 51 receptions and a career-high 12 touchdowns. His 20.3 yards per catch average led the ACC and ranked third in school history, showing just how much of a deep threat he had become.

Brown did not just learn how to take the top off a defense overnight, though. He worked hard at it with UNC quarterback and fellow Charlotte area native Sam Howell in particular, which led to a huge jump in success from his rookie to sophomore seasons.

“I feel that my game has evolved with the deep ball,” Brown said. “I’ve been doing that for the past two years and just working with Sam during the offseason. Being in the same city at one time, just working with him the whole time, he helped me out a little bit and we’ve got a good chemistry.”

Despite a stellar sophomore campaign, Brown was not satisfied going into his third season as a Tar Heel. And that is not an opinion, either. The numbers are right there to back it up.

During what would turn out to be his final season at Carolina, Brown once again solidified himself as one of the top deep threats in the country, catching a career-high 55 balls for a career-high 1,099 yards, which led the ACC, and eight touchdowns. That is an average of 20.0 yards per catch and 99.9 yards per game.

The accolades he earned after the 2020 season are just as impressive. Brown was a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist and was voted an All-ACC first team and AP All-America third team receiver. He also became the first player in UNC history to have two 1,000-yard receiving seasons, firmly solidifying himself as one of the best wideouts the program has seen.

So, what does it take to be one of the most dangerous wide receivers in the country? For Brown, it is two things.

“One is passion,” Brown said. “That's something that you always have to have. Passion, it takes you a long way. And then the second one is having a creative imagination because releasing is all about imagination.

“Some people like to use basketball moves like crossovers. I know Stefon Diggs and those guys, they like to do that stuff. So, it's just all about having a creative mind.”

Brown learned some of what he knows from studying some of the NFL’s top wideouts.

“I watch Davante Adams, and with the releases, I pretty much got that from him,” Brown said. “And then Amari Cooper. I feel like we have the same building run, so just route running is a great aspect for that.”

With Brown’s college career officially in the rearview, preparing for the NFL Draft has been his top priority over the last five months and it showed during UNC’s pro day.

Brown ran a 4.44 time in the 40-yard dash and posted a 35.5-inch vertical leap in front of scouts from all 32 NFL teams. This led to some high praise from the NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks, who was a receiver at UNC from 1989-1993 and had a five-year career in the NFL.

“Dyami Brown made money…” Brooks said after Brown’s workout. “When looking at this wide receiver class you can put him in different categories, your true No. 1’s and then your deep threats that are No. 2’s. I think he has to be at the top of the list of the No. 2’s in terms of a deep-ball specialist, a big-play weapon opposite an established No. 1.”

Overall, Brown was pleased with his performance on pro day and was looking to show that he is more than just someone who can take the top off a defense.

“I’ve been on the left side for the past two years, so I'm someone who can run routes on the right side or in the slot,” Brown said. “I can run every route there is instead of just being a deep threat.”

Another former NFL wideout that has been impressed with Brown’s game is Steve Smith, who was at UNC’s pro day as an analyst for the NFL Network.

Smith and Brown have a prior relationship, with the former Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver offering him some strong advice before Brown’s final season at Carolina even began.

“He actually told me, during the offseason while I was working out, he told me, ‘Don't run any more deep routes,’” Brown said. “He told me to work on the intermediate stuff, things that I haven't done as much because I know at the next level you’ll have to run every route there is.”

Brown appreciated Smith’s insight and took it to heart.

“He pretty much just helped me out,” Brown said. “He saw what he liked, helped me out with some releases as well. Just getting that knowledge and stuff from him is a big thing for me because of just watching him when I was younger and actually being in my hometown of Charlotte and playing for the Panthers. It’s a big deal.”

As Brown prepares for the next chapter in his football career, he has not forgotten where he came from, crediting his former high school coaches and support system at UNC for making him the person and player he is now.

“In high school, I got a whole lot of help outside of football,” Brown said. “I had some coaches and some other players that helped shape the way I am now. Even throughout UNC, I had a lot of help and a great support system. I’m pretty sure that was the main component of why I am who I am today.”

The former West Mecklenburg High School standout even takes the time to give back to his community, showing just how mature the 21-year-old already is.

“Even today where I'm from, I'm involved with a whole lot of kids,” Brown said. “Kids that might struggle at home or grew up the same way I do, I try to help them out as much as I can. So, just being involved with the community is very important.”

Projected mainly as a Day 3 pick when the draft gets started on April 29, there is no doubting Brown’s abilities as a deep threat receiver. Still, Brown will be looking to show whatever team takes him that he is more than that, on and off the field, and that should go a long way in earning him a roster spot.