Kelly Bryant will be a project at the next level, what traits could make the Missouri redshirt Senior Quarterback a late-round selection?
Name: Kelly Bryant
Position: Quarterback
College: Missouri
Height: 6’3’’
Weight: 225
Draft Grade: Fifth
Draft Projection: Sixth to Priority Free Agent
Scout Talk: Missouri Quarterback Kelly Bryant
Athletic Ability
Kelly Bryant is the definition of a good athlete. He isn’t spectacular while running, but he can make the occasional flashy play with his legs. He will be able to use his athletic ability to extend plays as a pro.
Competitiveness
Bryant is a tough player who fights through injury. He doesn’t come through in clutch moments as you would like, and his leadership and focus on the team comes into question with how his transfer from Clemson was handled. Solid, but unspectacular production. Bryan has operated mostly as a game manager throughout his college career against competitive teams. Solid consistency, but has moments where things seem to fall apart. Even when he doesn’t have an answer, Bryant will continue to play hard.
Mental Alertness
Kelly Bryant hasn’t shown significant progression in his ability to read defenses or stay in the pocket when he is under pressure. Bryant doesn’t have great passing instincts, but they are good enough to believe he may be able to progress in that area.
Strength/Durability
Kelly Bryant has solid strength, but his durability is in question as he has battled ankle, hamstring, and knee injuries this season. He has a good body frame; however, teams will wonder how well he can hold up at the next level.
Position Skill
Kelly Bryant has a long wind up release and doesn’t always put his upper body into throws. He has a good arm, but his intermediate and deep accuracy aren’t as good as you would like. Those issues could be corrected with several years of good NFL coaching. Kelly Bryant doesn’t produce enough big plays with his arm or legs and only has adequate accuracy on the move. He doesn’t read defenses well enough to find his second and third options on routes. He is only adequate under pressure and only ranks that high due to his athletic ability; otherwise, he folds in the pocket against a rush. He has good touch but can be prone to bad interceptions or fumbles from time to time
Overall
The mathematical grade for Kelly Bryant is in the fifth round. I project he will be taken anywhere from the sixth round to a priority free agent. He has an adequate ceiling that could see him become a middle of tier three quarterback who can have success if surrounded by talent on offense. However, his floor is that of a backup player in the CFL, XFL, or future NFL development league. His athleticism gives him hope, but he will need to work hard during the pre-draft process to show teams he deserves to be drafted. Once in training camp, Kelly Bryant will have to spend extra time on the practice field working on his mechanics and spend time in the film room to learn the offense as fast as he can. Bryant is a true project quarterback.
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