Scouting Report: Patriots Appear Interested in Playmaker Brevin Jordan
Measurables:
Height: 6-foot-3 (1.778m)
Weight: 245 lbs (111.13kg)
Age: 20
Strengths:
- A monster after the catch, who led all tight ends in YAC in 2020 with 353 yards, along with leading tight ends in yards after contact with 160 yards.
- Someone who with his speed, athleticism, and route-running can win against man coverage at the pro-level. Jordan projects well as a WR/TE hybrid.
- Versatile usage that compares to Jonnu Smith and Aaron Hernandez in regards to be used all over the formation, whether it be inline with his hand in the ground, a move piece, in the backfield at running back, in the slot, out wide, almost everywhere across the formation. A skill that very few tight ends possess which makes for some matchup nightmares.
- Jordan showed both explosiveness and physicality in the ladder years of his playing time at Miami, which can he can use to exploit defenders in coverage, in the blocking game at times, and after the catch.
- Appears to have a sharp understanding of defenders in both man and zone coverage, which he can use in his route-running to find separation, sit in open space, and then do the rest with the ball in his hands.
Weaknesses:
- Unclear how sound his skills with the ball in his hands are, as throughout tape fumbles and concentration drops appeared to take place.
- Along those lines, catching the ball with his body, not always extending out towards the ball and attacking the high point. This may be a product of trying to extend the play before making the catch, which could also lead to the concentration drops.
- Also adding on to that, Jordan could stand some improvement in contested catch ability. Which is probably hindered by a struggle to high point the ball at times. While he still shows good ability in this area, he can really raise his ceiling by improving on these top three points.
- With a lack of size at the position and being just an okay blocker, his ceiling becomes more limited in any hope that he could become a more complete tight end. While he has plenty of potential, that could come out of a TE2 spot, opposed to the undisputed number one guy.
Summary and Archetype:
Brevin Jordan is an extremely intriguing player as he offers true dynamic ability with the football that could transform a passing offense. Yet, at the same time, he does have some very legit fundamental concerns that make his floor a little hard to determine.
Jordan was a player that was originally flirting with potential first-round hype. However, with Florida's Kyle Pitts and Penn State's Pat Freiermuth standing likely in front of him, Jordan is now looking more like a late day two, maybe even early day three guy. Which is now driving a lot of the appeal towards picking a guy like Jordan for many NFL teams. As teams are now figuring that there is tremendous value in taking someone as dynamic as him, someone who would have easily been the best tight end in last year's draft, and getting him with a potential compensatory pick.
His value with an NFL squad with be very landing spot-dependent, as teams who plan to use this guy as a tradition in-line eventual TE1 will stomp on his potential and ensure that he never becomes the dynamic target that he very well could become. It's those teams that line him up around the formation, find creative ways to scheme him open, and get him the ball in man-on-man mismatches that will truly maximize his potential.
Fit with the Patriots:
In a fitting transition, Josh McDaniels and the New England Patriots have displayed time and time again that they would be a team capable of using a player of his skillset and put him in positions to succeed. McDaniels has always been an architect of finding ways to line up players so that they can expose matchups and then get the ball to them in space. One could make the argument that on this premise, McDaniels, Jordan, and the Patriots would be a matchup for the making.
That being said, I think some considerable concern lies in picking Jordan as well. While I believe that the fit is almost certainly there, and arguments could even be made that Jordan is exactly the type of tight end that New England is looking for, along with the fact that they are starving for someone who can create after the catch, some things just don't exactly line up. Making this a good, not great marriage.
With the Patriots just drafting Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene last offseason, bringing in Jordan would throw a third young tight end in the mix (fourth if you would like to include Ryan Izzo, that's your choice). Which that all sounds great on the surface, however, the problem lies in the fact that by the way things stand right now, no one can say for certain whether any of these players are a future undisputed TE1 at the top of the depth chart. Keene was putrid as a blocker in his limited action last year, Asiasi was serviceable, Jordan is not much of a blocker himself. While Jordan and Asiasi would likely be top of the food chain, especially in the early goings, a tight end group that has been a desolate wasteland since the departure of Rob Gronkowski would then be operating without a clear-cut number one guy. Which does not sound like a recipe for success in rehabbing this position.
While there is a considerable amount of interest in Jordan, and for good reason, they may have to look towards someone with a higher ceiling, as spending three day two picks on tight ends that may not be an every-down starting caliber tight end on other teams is not a smart way to spend picks or to fix a position that is critical to the functionality of this offense. So, while Jordan would be a great fit and could bring a lot of what New England is looking for in the passing game (YAC, separation, beating man coverage, strong route-running), a lot of questions would still have to be answered before making this selection.
