Scouting Austin Bryant

Austin Bryant is an example of one of those players that has the ability to get to the quarterback, but the coaching staff does not know how to use him.

It wants him to be what it wants him to be, instead of playing to his strengths.

Bryant burst onto the scene last week, and blocked a punt in Minnesota, after a well-documented, injury-riddled start to his pro career since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

It was the biggest play of his young career, and it highlighted exactly what I am about to say. Bryant is a baller when he is kept clean and allowed to freelance.

There is no question he is athletic, and he has the wingspan of a small aircraft at 81.375 inches - - the only problem is he is not a defensive end. I repeat, he is not a defensive end.

He is an outside rush linebacker, and the sooner the Lions figure that out, they will improve on their 25th-ranked pass rush (averaging 1.4 sacks per game).

The fact of the matter is Bryant may very well be the best pass-rusher on their roster next to Trey Flowers. But again, they have to use him right.

They have to change their scheme somewhat, and if they do, Bryant may very well put up eight sacks in their final eight games.

The Lions need to play a 4-3 defense, with two defensive ends lined up on the outside shoulder of the opposing offensive tackle, while fanning out Bryant as a linebacker to the "wide nine" position and way out on the edge.

And the Lions need to let him do what he does best - - play in space, where he can either blow upfield into the pocket or crash down laterally against the run, while being either lightly challenged or uncontested.

Watching what the Lions are doing with him right now is the definition of insanity, which is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result.

In his first game action of 2020 against Minnesota, they lined him up mostly as a defensive end, and he kept crashing into the offensive tackle with little-to-no real success.

Bryant does not match up well against NFL offensive tackles. Heck, Bryant did not match up well against college offensive tackles.

I went back, and watched a good amount of film of him at Clemson. He made most of his highlight plays when he was lightly challenged, left clean or completely uncontested.

Case in point, in 2018 when Clemson played Notre Dame, he was mostly handled by Notre Dame's right tackle. He was only a menace when he was left unblocked. He even struggled to beat the block of a tight end.

Bryant saw a little bit of action for the Lions in 2019.

He suited up for 133 snaps in the final four games, and the bulk of his production came when he could crash down laterally and mostly unchallenged (against Green Bay and Tampa Bay).

He was also able to find his way to the ball carrier, if he somehow gained inside leverage (against GB).

He also made a nice freelance tackle against Denver in Week 16 of last year.

I thought the coaching staff started to "get it," when they kept his hand out of the dirt and they lined him up standing up. But, the only problem was they were still lining him up over the offensive tackle.

It was sort of the right idea, but not quite.

They have to line him up where a defensive end ties up the offensive tackle, and he can either then run in free from the edge or stunt and crash inside -- which is another thing he excels at doing.

Bryant really reminds me of Preston Smith of Green Bay.

Smith was the seventh defensive end taken in 2015.

He started his career as a defensive end, before getting moved to outside linebacker.

Washington made him an outside linebacker in 2016.

Smith is 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, and he has 34-inch arms.

Bryant is 6-foot-4 and 261 pounds, with 34.63-inch arms.

Smith left Washington, and signed with Green Bay. And he has been a blue-chip player, hitting a double-digit sack total last season (12).

Scouting Report

#94 Austin Bryant - 6-foot-4, 261 pounds

Grade: D as a defensive end, but a projected outside linebacker grade of B

A raw, lumbering and athletic defensive end, with a lanky frame and long arms who has been injury-plagued. Looks the part with his hand in the dirt pre-snap. Average first step. Tightness in hips. Lacks twitch and the explosiveness at the point of attack. Physically strong impact, but shows no pass-rush polish. Shows next-to-no ability to disengage from blockers.

Struggled to disengage from a tight end against Minnesota. Shows no pass-rush arsenal of moves. Just crashes in, and that is pretty much the extent of it. Easily controlled after initial contact. Does not try to challenge through front or back doors or set anything up. Extremely raw-looking. Was able to penetrate stunting and crashing down through gaps inside. Can do that fairly effectively, and hopes to find an open alleyway and a clear pathway into the pocket.

A lumbering runner, with deceptive short-area burst who excels in chase position while roaming toward the outside perimeters. Able to clamp down inside laterally against the run, or is effective if he is able to achieve leverage. Does not seem to be able to beat blockers on running plays, either. A hard hitter and solid tackler. Did look like he could drop into short-range zones in coverage.

Projects best to a rush outside linebacker. Raw, freelance-type ability, with a desire to get to the quarterback. Must be schemed properly.

Football is a game of adjustments, and the teams that win make the necessary adjustments.

One adjustment the Lions must make is moving Bryant to the outside rush linebacker position and watch the sparks fly. Or at the very least, stunt the living daylights out of him to the inside, if the coaching staff is too stubborn to make the needed adjustment.

To keep him rushing as a defensive end is a waste of everyone's time, and time is not something that is on Detroit's side at 3-5 at the midway point in the 2020 campaign.

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