Hunter Bryant May Be Best Undrafted Free Agent from 2020 Draft Class
Following a solid draft by Detroit general manager Bob Quinn, there are still many holes plaguing the team heading into the remainder of the offseason.
Whether it is on the defensive line, at offensive guard or in the secondary, the holes on the team are prevalent.
One position where many thought the Lions were all set was at tight end.
After signing Jesse James in free agency and selecting T.J. Hockenson in the first round last year, Detroit has a solid tight end core.
And now, that core might have just gotten a little deeper.
The Lions picked up undrafted free agent Hunter Bryant.
The Washington Huskies alum recorded a respectable season in 2019. Bryant hauled in 52 receptions a year ago, which resulted in three touchdowns and over 820 yards from scrimmage.
A monstrous 2019 season for Bryant almost surely meant him getting selected at some point in the 2020 draft.
As the rounds passed, though, Bryant’s named dropped further and further until the draft had concluded without him being taken.
Not long after, the Lions came calling, and inked the big tight end.
According to NBC Sports Northwest’s Jonathan Warner, Bryant may have been the best undrafted free agent from the 2020 class.
As Warner writes,
“Bryant falling out of the draft is the clear-cut biggest head-scratcher on this list. He was 79th overall and the top-ranked tight end on our board, and it's not as if we were significantly higher on him than most draft pundits. Bryant came in at 98th overall (TE3) on the consensus big board put together over at The Athletic. Barring red flags popping up related to several knee injuries he suffered in the past, Bryant falling out of the draft entirely is a shock.
That plays to the benefit of the Lions. He has arguably the best receiving chops of any tight end in this class, putting up a receiving grade of 91.7 since 2017 to go along with a class-high 2.90 yards per route run. The Lions are already pretty heavily invested at tight end between spending a first-round pick on TJ Hockenson last season and signing Jesse James to a decent-sized deal, but Bryant brings a different element to the group and has the potential to really benefit that offense.”
If Bryant is everything as promised, the Lions just grabbed a steal in free agency.
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