INDIANAPOLIS — Marquise Brown and Antonio Brown have much in common. Both are highly explosive receivers able to inflict plenty of damage despite diminutive builds. Both hail from South Florida and exude copious swagger. They also happen to be cousins. However Marquise, who starred at Oklahoma for two seasons, is poised to set himself apart, a good bet to be a first-round pick in April's NFL draft — nine years after Antonio fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Round 6 before blossoming into one of the league's premier wideouts. Now, AB expects more from Marquise. "Yeah, he talked to me about it. I should have no excuse. He went sixth round," Marquise said Friday at the scouting combine. "I feel I'll go higher than that. "He wants me to be better than him, so that's what I'm aiming to do." COMBINE:Why Alabama's lightly used Josh Jacobs could be first RB picked in 2019 NFL draft DRAFT:Bryce Love learned the toughest lesson about the risk of football Topping Antonio's draft stature — he went 195th overall — shouldn't be much of a hurdle for Marquise, who, along with Mississippi's D. K. Metcalf, is widely regarded as a probable opening night selection this year. However recent Lisfranc surgery means Marquise won't be able to do on-field drills at the combine, a bitter disappointment for a prospect with blistering speed who planned to take aim at John Ross' record 4.22 40-yard dash set in 2017. Brown says he'll be in a walking boot another three to four weeks and should start running in April or May but won't be fully cleared until training camp. He hasn't been able to do much weight training since December, which partially explains why his 5-9 frame currently carries just 166 pounds. "I'm never going to be a 190-pound receiver," said Brown, who says his ideal weight is 170 to 175 pounds, which would put him pretty close to Antonio's size (5-10, 181). Marquise Brown has talked to NFL receivers who have previously overcome foot injuries, including Sammy Watkins, for advice and has no worries about his recovery. Of course, he also speaks frequently with Antonio, including Friday morning. "(He) just leads by example when we work out together, watch film. He shows me how to treat me body every day — every day things," said Marquise, while listing other other traits of Antonio's he tries to emulate "His aggressiveness. Any time he gets the ball he wants to score as well. In that sense, we've got the same type of thinking and mentality — we want the ball, get the ball and score." This isn't to say they're clones. Though he sported a glitzy "HOLLY5WOOD" chain Friday — an homage to his Florida hometown, Sooners jersey number and, perhaps, an insight to his persona — Marquise Brown didn't say much about Antonio's current standoff with the Steelers and even displayed a grounded side of himself. "For me, where I grew up, (my) childhood dream was to go to college," he said. "The NFL is just like surreal, it's a bonus." But surreal is about to become reality very soon, and Brown doesn't shy away from what he believes is readiness to make the jump. "I'll get utilized wherever, but I'll let the film speak for itself — I played outside, I played inside — it's nothing new," he said when asked if he prefers lining up wide or in the slot. "I feel I can play both pretty well." After he caught passes from Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray the past two seasons, Brown's film looks pretty good and bolsters his belief that, like Antonio, he can score from anywhere on the field. In two seasons in Norman, Brown racked up 132 catches for 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns. He said he encountered a lot of press coverage early in his college career — natural given his size — but was able to routinely beat it with his combination of technique, speed, film study and attention to detail. And despite an admission that he'll need to get stronger, Brown isn't worried about getting jammed by physical corners in the pros. "After I made a name for myself, people didn't really press me that much," said a player who's drawn comparisons to the Buccaneers' DeSean Jackson and Rams' Brandin Cooks. "I know in the NFL, you're gonna get press coverage a lot, and I'm going to be ready for it." And, despite some of Antonio's gaffes in recent years, Marquise is ready for any question about his own makeup and seems to be thoroughly enjoying the combine's vetting process. "I'm just out here having fun," he said. "All this is surreal to me to be out here. It's just a blessing. I appreciate however this goes. I'm out here, just being myself. "Every team I talk to, they love my personality, they love what I bring to the table." A self-proclaimed Dolphins fan growing up, Brown's meeting schedule includes the Patriots, Browns, Bucs and, yes, Steelers so far. But no matter how many Browns Pittsburgh ultimately has room for on its roster, Marquise will definitely bring Antonio's influence to his next locker room. "He always motivated me," said Marquise. "He's a hard worker. Whatever he's doing, he wants me to do more than that." *** Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis<doc-sep>Indianapolis — The NFL Combine is a series of job interviews, and even though a normal interview doesn't include feats of speed and strength, stepping on a scale in your underwear and having your body poked and prodded by a team of medical professionals, most of the prospects do their best to take a professional approach to the grueling week. Part of that means muting the otherwise big personalities that come along with the confidence it takes to excel at the highest level of sport. Media sessions can be dull and there are a lot of "Sirs" and "Ma'ams" being unnecessarily thrown around because no one wants to stand out in a way that can be perceived as negative. But through the sea of media in the interview room, Oklahoma receiver Marquise Brown does stand out — an impressive feat for the smallest prospect at the combine and one not participating in any on-field drills due to a foot injury he suffered late last season. Around Brown's neck glistens a good chain with a diamond-encrusted "Hollywood" as the eye-catching focal point. It's a not-so-subtle reminder of a nickname that encapsulates his combination of big plays and big personality. Maybe somewhat surprisingly, the first 20 minutes of Brown's press conference could be classified as boring. He even remained calm as wave after wave of reporter asked about his cousin, disgruntled Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antonio Brown. And Marquise, 21, shrugged off concerns about his weight, even though 166 pounds is going to make even most casual football fan second guess his ability to stay healthy. He believes once he can resume his normal lower-body workouts, he'll get up to around 175 pounds. That's similar to Tampa Bay's DeSean Jackson. But as the media session wound down, Brown's ego, which is part of what makes him such a fun player, began to peep out from the shadows. Asked if he was frustrated about not being able to participate in the on-field testing this week, he noted that he wanted to show off his speed. "I was looking forward to doing the 40, but it's cool," he said. "I'll let my play speed speak." And how fast does he think he would have run? "I was going to aim for the record, for sure." Officially, the record is 4.22 seconds, set by Cincinnati Bengals receiver John Ross in 2017. Asked if he think he could have bested the mark, Brown nodded, "Yeah." We'll likely never be able to attach a number to his straight line speed. Brown's foot won't be healed enough to run at Oklahoma's pro day and it's not really something NFL players have to do after the draft. More importantly, no one will care if he can produce anything like he did at college. A junior-college transfer, he topped 1,000 yards each of his two seasons with the Sooners. In 2018, he caught 75 balls for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns. Brown had been in the mix to be the first receiver drafted and should still be selected in the first two rounds. jdrogers@detroitnews.com Twitter; @Justin_Rogers<doc-sep>'Whoever Is Watching This, They're Going To Get A Thrill': Willy T. 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Antonio Brown may have an added incentive to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2019 season. While Pittsburgh already has Brown and fellow receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington on their roster, the team may still consider drafting another talented receiver that Brown knows quite well. The receiver is Oklahoma wideout Marquise Brown, who also happens to be Brown's cousin. On Friday, Brown confirmed that the Steelers have set up a meeting with him at the NFL Combine. Former @OU_Football WR Marquise Brown, cousin of Antonio Brown, says he will meet formally with the #Steelers today. He has already met with The #Raiders and #Patriots, among other teams pic.twitter.com/3MqqZuqTqx — Kevin Boilard (@247KevinBoilard) March 1, 2019 Click here to watch Oklahoma WR/NFL Draft prospect Marquise Brown discuss his relationship with Pittsburgh WR, Antonio Brown During his final two seasons with the Sooners, Brown caught 132 passes for 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns. In 2018, he caught 75 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 17.6 yards per catch. He is currently slated being anywhere from a first to a third round pick. “What sets Brown apart is game-breaking speed," WalterFootball.com wrote of Brown. "He is extremely fast and can score from anywhere on the field. Brown is a true filer who can take the top off a defense with his ability to burn coverage over the top. When Brown gets free, he is nearly impossible to track down, because his dynamic speed can take away angles. Brown is the kind of a receiver who can take a short slant the distance. He also has run-after-the catch skills with some moves in the secondary, but mostly is a straight-line runner, using his speed to run away from tacklers. Brown has quality hands and route-running. He will need to learn more routes for the NFL, but as a speed receiver, he is adept at running his routes well. “The big concern for Brown is his size. According to NFL teams’ preseason date provided by team sources, Brown checks in at 5’11, 160 pounds. He is also said to run the 40 in 4.35 seconds, which is a very fast time. His height is not bad, but his weight is scary, and he could have a hard time avoiding injury and holding up in the NFL. “For the NFL, Brown projects to be a DeSean Jackson-type weapon for an offense. Brown could be a No. 1 or a No. 2 receiver depending on the system and quarterback he goes to. Brown should be able to play quickly, as his speed should provide plenty of mismatches immediately. In the 2019 NFL Draft, Brown looks like a safe bet to be a second-day pick.” The younger Brown said that he has learned a great deal from the elder Brown, who leads the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns since the start of the 2011 season. "It's very nice, I learn a lot from him," Marquise told OUDailey.com. "He just keeps me motivated every time I see him out there on the field. It's very nice, I learn a lot from him. He just keeps me motivated every time I see him out there on the field." While the Steelers would certainly love to add Brown to their roster, it will mostly depend on where he is ultimately projected to be selected in the draft. If he ends up becoming a first round pick, he probably won't be picked by the Steelers, who will most likely use their first pick on the defensive side of the ball for a seventh straight year. But if he falls to the second or third round, don't be surprised if Pittsburgh selects Brown, who will look to follow in his older cousin's footsteps as an elite NFL receiver.