Red Bryant
Great pick. Incredible athlete. I am so jacked. So Jacked. I'll update this in a second.
Okay, here we go. I'm feeling my Mike Mayock. I picked Bryant as the best value tackle in the 4th, and BAM. Here's what I've previously written.
One wonders what could have been for Bryant had he not languished under Dennis Franchione. Coach Fran has since been run from the ranks of college football, and Bryant enters the draft slotted two rounds lower than his talent would imply. That's right, Bryant looks like a first round talent, but plays like a NDFA. Because of this, Bryant wins the duel distinctions of the Memorial Baraka Atkins Project Pick and the Someone's Gonna Need To Kick This Kid In The Ass awards. What sets Bryant apart from so many underachievers is that he's a mature, motivated team leader. Bryant became a captain as a red shirt freshman. He considers his college degree, in agricultural management, his finest accomplishment. Something you can appreciate; he was the first in his family to graduate from college. There's a difference between an underachiever who just doesn't care or care enough and someone (not talking about his parents here) who's behind the curve because he was raised by wolves. Bryant is nearing 24, a knock on any prospect, but is just tremendously physically gifted. The right team, the right environment, patience and the right coaching, and the fast, powerful, quick, agile and prototypically framed Bryant could become a star.
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Bryant isn't a three. Not yet, anyhow. He is, however, the athlete Kentwan Balmer is purported to be. A top recruit and team leader, Bryant stagnated under coach Dennis Franchione. It's clear Bryant has outstanding potential as a hybrid 1/3, but was squandered on a D that produced sacks (18) like Faulkner produced apostrophes. The big picture move here is Bryant taking over for Howard Green, and Marcus Tubbs shifting to the 3 as Bernard's primary backup. It's a move mindful of Tubbs pass rushing prowess, and concerns about his durability. Tubbs would share snaps with Bernard and Craig Terrill in a three headed rotation that'd be a relentless matchup nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators.
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Bryant is one of those very special talents that languished on a poorly run, talent poor program. Watch out, give this guy some real coaching and premium surrounding talent and his upside is freakishly high. A bigger, faster, more athletic Rocky Bernard.