Could The Jaguars Take Brandon Bryant In The Supplemental Draft?
By David Levin
Two weeks ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were one of 14 teams on hand to watch Brandon Bryant and work out for NFL scouts at Mississippi State University. Bryant has declared for the 2018 Supplemental Draft, with the hope the former Bulldogs cornerback will realize his dream of playing football on the next level.
Now, just days away from the Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the other teams in attendance have a decision to make – do they take the talented SEC star, thus giving up a 2019 draft pick for the round he is chosen, or do pass on him, allowing him to find a home somewhere else.
The Supplemental Draft will be held July 11.
There is a chance, like the other former college players who have declared to be chosen, Bryant may not hear his name called at all.
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Per Chase Goodbread of NFL.com, “Bryant ran official 40-yard dash times of 4.45 and 4.52, per NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt, vertical jumped 34 inches and turned in a broad jump of 10-3. In agility drills, he ran 3-cone drill times of 7.26 and 7.52, with a 20-yard shuttle clocking of 4.23. He opted not to perform in the bench press.”
Still, those kinds of numbers should have some scouts drooling at the prospect of Bryant maturing into a solid cornerback on Sundays.
Some would argue it wasn’t his best outing, meaning there is room for improvement. Bucky Brooks of NFL.com reviewed Bryant’s tape and thinks he should be chosen in the seventh round or will be a free agent type of player. Athleticism is something teams are willing to take a chance on if they think a player will develop over time.
"“There are always spots in the NFL for talented athletes with exceptional physical traits,” Brooks explained. “That’s why scouts were paying close attention to Bryant as a prospect after he earned recognition as one of the most explosive college football players in 2016 and ’17.”"
The Jaguars have arguably the best secondary in the NFL but used a third-round pick to grab Alabama safety Ronnie Harrison to be groomed as a future starter. Jacksonville has one of the best safety tandems in the league in Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye, but could always draft for depth.
Bryant isn’t the only defensive back available next week. Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal and Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander are also expected to be selected.
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There will be seven rounds in the Supplemental Draft, just like the selection process in April, which means there are 224 possible times any of these players could hear their names called.