Seahawks Select Cincinnati CB Coby Bryant With Pick No. 109 in 2022 NFL Draft
The Seahawks have now made all five of their picks as originally scheduled thus far. This time, they kick off day three of the 2022 NFL Draft by selecting Cincinnati cornerback Coby Bryant with pick No. 109 in the fourth round.
Bryant was a four-year starter for the Bearcats and capped off his collegiate career with a monster season starting opposite Jets first-rounder Ahmad Gardner in 2021. The newest Seattle corner reeled in a pair of interceptions and a career-high 11 pass breakups, all while allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete just 44 percent of their passes when targeting him.
Despite Gardner's unprecedented success at the college level and the buzz he built for himself, Bryant did enough to ensure he was not overlooked by the national eye. His striking numbers from last season earned him first-team All-American and first-team All-AAC honors. But his biggest accomplishment was winning the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the top defensive back in the country each year.
Bryant tested poorly during the pre-draft process, however, leading to his drop into the fourth round. Measuring in at 6-foot-13/8 with 305/8-inch arms, he ran an underwhelming 40-yard dash time of 4.54 seconds and posted a disappointing mark of 7.31 seconds in the three-cone drill. He's also been knocked for his physicality and struggles as a tackler.
Rough testing numbers aside, Bryant wowed scouts at the Senior Bowl back in early February. In fact, his efforts down in Mobile, Alabama resulted in him being voted as the best defensive back of the event by his peers.
While there are areas of his game that need refinement, Bryant could very well start right away with the Seahawks. The team re-signed Sidney Jones following an impressive second half of 2021 and also brought in free agents Artie Burns and Justin Coleman, but it lost its starting right cornerback in D.J. Reed to New York and will be cautious with second-year man Tre Brown, who's recovering from a patellar tendon injury.
Barring general manager John Schneider's first trade of draft week, the Seahawks will make their next selection at pick No. 145 in the fifth round.
