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Finding Broncos: Coby Bryant | CB | Cincinnati

Finding Broncos scouts the 2022 NFL Draft with a boundary corner.

Measurements

  • Height: 6-foot-1
  • Weight: 193 pounds
  • Arms: 30-5/8 inches
  • Hands: 9-3/8 inches

Combine

  • 40 Yard Dash: 4.54 seconds
  • Bench Press (225 pounds): 17 reps

Stats

Pros

  • Good size, but lacks ideal length. 
  • Plays the ball in the air extremely well. 
  • Nearly elite with his ball skills. 
  • Footwork is great. 
  • Excellent instincts. 
  • Will bring it as a run defender. 
  • Leverages receivers quite well. 
  • Works to slow down timing routes. 
  • Leader on the field and will rally the team. 
  • Does a good job attacking the catch point while being cautious for flags. 
  • Penalized once in 2021. 
  • Understands spacing as a defender. 
  • Uses the sideline as an extra defender. 
  • Squeeze receivers through their routes. 
  • Excellent ball tracking skills. 
  • Plays with excellent positioning in coverage. 
  • Plenty of experience. 

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Cons

  • Doesn't come to balance to tackle when pursuing. 
  • Needs to unlock his hips to better his change of direction. 
  • Doesn't have ideal length, and it shows as a tackler. 
  • The tape is full of inconsistent technique. 
  • Doesn't have the best short-area burst. 
  • Can be overaggressive and get baited by quarterbacks. 
  • Will struggle handling route technicians when mirroring. 
  • Not very twitchy or sudden. 
  • Has almost no experience on special teams, in the slot, or as a blitzer.

Overview

Coby Bryant is a boundary-only corner with impressive skills to make it as a number two corner. He played as part of a talented secondary with Bryan Cook and Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner. Playing opposite Gardner, Bryant has gone a little under the radar as it is hard to watch that Bearcat defense and not have your attention turn to Gardner. 

There doesn't appear to be any versatility with Bryant, who played almost exclusively as a boundary corner in college. He has good size, physicality, and technique for the NFL, but there are concerns about the lack of twitched-up athleticism teams look for. Also, for as good as his technique is, the fact he doesn't use it consistently is an issue that needs to be fixed. 

Teams will also want to see if he can last on special teams even though he has almost no experience there. As a rookie, he will likely have to contribute on special teams. With his limited experience, it will be interesting to see where he goes during the draft. 

Fit with Broncos

Coby Bryant doesn't make much sense for what the Denver Broncos are projected to run with their defensive coverage scheme. He is best in a man-coverage scheme as he lacks the suddenness and short-area burst you look for in a zone-coverage scheme. His footwork is fine and could help cover some of the issues, but the biggest issue is the short-area burst. 

It leads to issues playing off-coverage, which is the expectation in Denver. It would help if you had that short-area burst to close on those underneath throws, and only so much footwork can cover-up. The coaching staff could feel he has enough traits to make him work, or they are planning to run more man coverage, but based on what's expected, other corners make more sense. 

Grade: Early Round 3

Where he Goes: Round 3/Round 4


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