Gators DT Taven Bryan
My first of hopefully many draft articles is finally here. I am by no means an expert at this whole scouting thing, I am merely writing draft posts for my own personal enjoyment during the off-season. Everything I've learned up to this point comes from the cognoscenti at espn, nfl network, and bleacher report. I will focus on players that I enjoy watching which means they are either game changers or play on my favorite college teams. Before I discuss my first prospect, I will dive into how I plan to scout prospects and what abilities I look for in each position group.
A simple way to scout is to start by asking yourself what traits and abilities allow a player to standout at their specific position group. Most people usually start with physical traits like size, speed, strength because they translate well to every position group but I caution you to not get caught up in the measurables or else you might end up with Shawn Oakman at the top of your draft board. Examples of former prospects with exceptional size, speed, and strength are Jadaveon Clowney, Myles Garret, Cam Newton, and Calvin Johnson. Physical traits are important, but they alone don't determine a player's ability to perform in the NFL. Next you have to determine if the prospect has what I call position specific traits. This is just simply looking at what abilities are deemed necessary for success at a given position. I will use the quaterback position as an example. Ask yourself does he have a strong arm? Is he accurate? Does he move well in the pocket? Does he throw with anticipation? As stated these traits differ based on position because a linebacker for example doesn't need to have pocket awareness but should tackle well. One thing to note is that my viewing angles are limited to what I see on TV whereas professional NFL scouts have all-22 film so I will have difficulty scouting receivers and defensive backs. Now on to my first attempt at scouting.
As a gators fan, I naturally chose a gator to scout first. Taven Bryan is a junior defensive tackle for the Florida Gators, and for scouting purposes, I watched his 2017 matchups against Michigan, LSU, TAMU, UGA, and FSU. The majority of his snaps come at the 3 tech spot which means he lines up on the outside shoulder of the offensive guard and his role each play is to shoot the gap between the guard and tackle. Bryan's size, speed, and strength are evident on every snap and his first step quickness is uncanny. Many times, he is a step or two into his rush before the opposing guard is fully out of his stance. This is significant because Taven is able to catch the offensive lineman off balance because the guard never gets his base set. With his first step quickness, Bryan is able effectively use a power bull rush move or a speed move off the lineman's shoulder to win the one on one battle. Another trait that NFL teams should fall in love with is his nonstop motor. He gets better in the late stages of games because he has simply worn down his opponents. Against Texas A&M, both if his sacks came later in the second half when the lineman just didn't have the energy to stop his speed rush. Taven Bryan has the size, speed, and power to dominate in the NFL but his physical abilities don't always result in a positive impact on a play.
Taven Bryan's most notable weaknesses are his lack of refined technique and his tendency to get out of position. He seemingly only has a couple of pass rush moves that he is comfortable with. This was especially evident early on in the year. He could either bull rush or speed rush. He lacked effective counter moves and if the offensive lineman was able to halt his initial push then it was over for Bryan. As the season progressed though, we did see him begin to add another move or two to his arsenal, most notably, he developed what I call a bull and pull which I will discuss at the end. This is promising because with the right coaching staff and personal effort, we could see Taven add new pass rush moves. Against the run, we see him take himself out of the play by choosing the incorrect gap or by attempting to rush upfield when he would be better off anchoring himself at the line of scrimmage and eating up space. He also struggles at times with tackling. Plays happened where he made it into the backfield in perfect position to get a tackle for loss but couldn't bring the ball carrier down. Another concerning trait is that he doesn't bat many passes down at the line of scrimmage. Great defensive lineman can negate a pass even if they don't sack the quarterback by simply sticking a hand up and tipping a pass. I don't recall seeing many tipped passes from Taven Bryan and this is something he must improve on to make an impact at the next level. Now back to my favorite pass rush move/play from Taven Bryan, the bull and pull.
As you can see in the blurry screenshots, Bryan begins with a bull rush. To counter this, the offensive guard has to set his feet and counteract the rush with his own forward push. Once Bryan feels the guard gain leverage he uses that leverage against his opponent by pulling the offensive lineman towards him and then down. It was a lose lose situation for the offensive guard because Bryan set up his opponent so well. Bryan used this same pass rush move multiple times in this game and the end result was the same every time.
To recap Taven Bryan's strengths and weaknesses:
strengths- above average speed/quickness for defensive lineman, great motor, can collapse the pocket quickly
weaknesses- technique, tackling ability, doesn't deflect passes
Taven Bryan has the physical ability to dominate in the NFL, it will just take effort and solid coaching to get him to his full potential. He fits best in a 4-3 defense next to a run stuffing nose tackle. A great fit for him would be the NY Giants where he could play next to run stuffing nose tackle Damon "snacks" Harrison. The NFL comparison that I would choose for Taven Bryan is Malik Jackson of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Both players beat interior lineman with quickness and both are better at rushing the passer than stopping the run. Finally my NFL draft prediction/grade for Taven Bryan is in the 2-3 round range to the Lions, Giants, or Bengals.