Report: Jaguars have had 'a lot' of contact with Illinois WR Pat Bryant
Report: Jaguars have had 'a lot' of contact with Illinois WR Pat Bryant The Jacksonville Jaguars have had "a lot" of contact with Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant during this pre-draft process.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have had "a lot" of contact with Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant during this pre-draft process.
While appearing on 1010XL's 'Helmets & Heels,' Bryant mentioned that the Jaguars were a team he's had "a lot" of contact with compared to other teams. This includes conversations at the Senior Bowl, the NFL combine, multiple Zoom meetings, and the Jaguars have been in contact with Bryant's high school coaches.
Measuring in at 6-2 - 204 pounds, Bryant fits that bigger-bodied wide receiver mold that Albert Breer mentioned the Jaguars could be looking for. He recorded a Relative Athletic Score of 7.08, which included a 37.5-inch vertical, 10-04 feet on the broad jump, and a 4.61-second 40.
Bryant had been a key figure in the Illinois offense for the last three seasons, which included 197 targets during that span. The 2024 season was a career year for him with 984 receiving yards at a whopping 18.2 yards per catch and 10 touchdowns.
Bryant primarily lined up out wide, but he does have slot experience as well, and that is something that will be important when it comes to playing receiver in Liam Coen's offense. Contributing to Bryant's impressive yards per reception figure was that he was extremely effective with the ball in his hands, picking up YAC.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein has Bryant with a sixth-round projection and had this to say about him in his scouting report:
"Bryant has good size but lacks suddenness and pure vertical gas. What he lacks in explosiveness he makes up for with intelligent releases, physicality inside the route and elite ball skills. Bryant has average play strength but musters it all when competing for the catch. His body control and focus put him in position to win fade routes but his high-point talent often seals the deal. The ball skills are superior, but he needs to prove he can find ways to uncover against NFL press coverage to become more than a downfield target with backup value."
The receiver position will be one of the larger needs that the Jaguars will have to address in the draft, as they look to not only bolster their depth, but ideally add some competition on the depth chart behind Brian Thomas Jr.
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