6’1” – 198 lbs.
Background:
Brother is former pro defensive back Christian Bryant. Played special teams as a freshman, then stepped into a starting role the following season, recording 33 tackles, two interceptions, and nine breakups. Finished his junior year with 54 tackles, one interception, and eight breakups, and his senior year with 35, four, and seven, respectively. Used a fifth season of eligibility this past year, posting a line of 45 tackles, three interceptions (one touchdown), and eleven breakups, also forcing three fumbles and being awarded the Jim Thorpe Award.
Positives:
Highly productive four-year starter who plays with the type of polish expected. Tall, long-limbed corner who should meet any team’s size requirements. Was asked to play a lot of different techniques, mostly press-man and off coverage; typically on the field side. Excellent weight distribution and footwork when backpedaling. Nice reaction times and route anticipation/recognition skills; very little lag between reading a route and driving, with clean transitions. Uses his length effectively to pin opposing receivers to the sideline. Gets his head around quickly to locate when covering down the sideline. Overall ball skills are very good; has great timing to go for the breakup and soft hands to make the interception when in position. Closes fast when driving on a spot from off-coverage and can deliver physical hits to jar the ball loose, or make quick tackles to limit yards after catch. Nice arm extension and physicality when playing off of blocks in the run game.
Negatives:
Leggy and high-hipped. Commits to turning and running downfield early at times, prematurely opening his hips; might struggle to stick with quicker/faster receivers at the next level. Can get floaty/disconnected at the route stem when patterns break over the middle of the field. Can get a little bit physical down the field, which may lead to penalties at the next level. Effort in the run game is a little bit better than his effectiveness at this point; could be a more consistent wrap tackler, and goes for an opponent’s ankles too often.
Summary:
A polished, competitive cornerback with excellent length and ball skills, he recognizes routes well from off-coverage and uses his length effectively at the line of scrimmage and down the sideline, traits which give him starting potential at the pro level. However, as a four-year starter who may have trouble sticking with true deep threats or quick underneath receivers, his upside may not be as high as some of the other top cornerback prospects, and it’s also possible some teams could view him as a potential safety conversion candidate. Depending on how the pre-draft process goes, could end up going on the second day, or slip into the early third day if he doesn’t test well.
DRAFTEXAMINER 