Cleveland Browns Comprehensive NFL Draft Review: Harrison Bryant, TE FAU
With the 115th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected Harrison Bryant, tight end out of Florida Atlantic. The winner of the John Mackey award for the 2019 season, Bryant is the first tight end to win the award for the nation's top tight end that didn't attend a power five school.
The featured weapon of an 11-win team, the Owls and then head coach Lane Kiffin found every possible way to utilize Bryant and create ways to maximize him. Bryant did not participate in the team's bowl game, but the Owls were able to eek out a win over Southern Methodist 52-28.
Athletic Profile
Age: 22 (Born April 23rd, 1998)
Height: 6'4 3/4"
Weight: 243 lbs
40-yard dash: 4.73
Broad Jump: 110"
Vertical Jump: 32.5"
3-cone: 7.41
Shuttle: 4.37
Bench: 13 reps
Jim Cobern @Jimetrics
Bryant is not a particularly good athlete. His speed is the best thing he has going for him, which is pretty average. His jumps were mediocre. His agility and balance aren't great either. The three-cone result is what hurts him the most. His shuttle is pretty average, but the three-cone is a pretty poor result.
Last but not least, his bench press result is mediocre and suggests he needs to get stronger overall. It's a threshold test for the most part, but most simply use it as an indication of how hard someone has worked in the weight room.
Bryant is young, which is good and likely folded into the equation of taking him has to be betting on the notion that in an NFL program they feel confident that he will get stronger. Overall, his athleticism is not why the Browns made this selection.
Production
2019
Receptions: 65 receptions
Yards: 1,004 yards (25.3%)
Touchdowns: 7
Bryant's had elite production at Florida Atlantic. He was the main event in their passing game and his market share reflects it. He had the most receptions, most yards and most touchdowns on the team.
Jim Cobern @Jimetrics
The thresholds for tight ends are lower than most positions simply because some truly unique athletes have come out of college and had success with little, if any production at the collegiate level. However, the vast majority of tight ends who have great results in the NFL were extremely productive in college.
Bryant's production for the Owls and he's right there with the average production of All-Pro tight ends, which bodes well for his NFL future.
Jim Cobern @Jimetrics
Game Tape
The first thing that stands out with Bryant is how many ways he's used in the offense. Inline, in the slot, bastard split, lining up on the boundary and as an H-back. He always looks confident in his assignments and never looks out of place.
In the passing game, Bryant is a pretty confident route runner. He has shown the ability to set up routes and create separation with some small details that make a big difference. He does a pretty good job of selling moves to opposing defensive backs and then mixing that up with just sprinting to his spot.
His route tree is reasonably complete. Slot fades, fade stops, hitches, a fake block that turns into a choice route or slant, curls and some drags. Bryant has an excellent feel for space and finding the hole in the zone. He will use his body to box opponents out as well.
Bryant's hands can be frustrating. On one hand, he will make some spectacular contested catches and then he will drop what look like pretty easy passes, bouncing right off his hands. The good news, if there is good news, is he's not trying to catch passes with his body, but it appears as though he's losing concentration at times, either because he's trying to pick up yardage or anticipating contact.
When it comes to blocking, Bryant gives everything he has. He's great in terms of understanding positioning and taking advantage of the proper angles. Bryant is always fighting to get the proper leverage and put his body in place to protect the ball carrier. He doesn't settle for getting blocks, but is always trying to maximize blocks.
His feel and precision making blocks in space is impressive. Whether he's cracking or being asked to go and get someone on a block, he's shown to be reliable at picking up his man. And again, he will fight for the proper positioning. This is when he's at his best as a blocker.
As an inline blocker, particularly when he's able to block down, he looks good. He takes full advantage and can occasionally do some real damage. The results are a little less reliable when he's got someone lined up over him. He can have a difficult time generating power, gets stood up or driven back.
Fit, Usage and Projection with the Browns
Bryant comes in as depth at tight end that might be utilized in some specific roles because of his intelligence and ability to absorb a playbook. If the Browns use some three tight end sets and want a wing or someone out in space, Bryant could see some play early. While he's depth behind Austin Hooper and David Njoku, he can hopefully get stronger.
As it currently stands, he looks more than capable of blocking in space and lined up where he can block linebackers or defensive backs. He doesn't look physically ready to play inline in the NFL potentially lining up with defensive ends or linebackers right on top of him. The hope is in a year or two, he'll be more physically mature and able to play inline consistently as well as all of the other spots on the field he could contribute.
Bryant's production coming out of college is outstanding, but his physical limitations will likely prevent him from the highest outcomes. His top end projection is more along the lines of a quality long term starter. Bryant could be a very good football player but it's unlikely he will become a Pro Bowl caliber player.
The Rest of The Browns 2020 Draft Class:
