CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Browns added to their stockpile of tight ends in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft Sunday by selecting Harrison Bryant with the 115th overall pick.
Bryant became the first from a non-power five conference to win the John Mackey Award as college football’s top tight end in 2019.
He topped 1,000 yards receiving for Florida Atlantic University last season by catching 65 passes earning him unanimous All-America status and he was voted first-team by AFCA, the Associated Press, FWAA, Sporting News and Walter Camp.
“This is a value pick for us,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said on the University Hospitals Cleveland Browns radio network and 92.3 The Fan Saturday afternoon. “We think highly of the player. I think he fits our building, a smart guy, but really, scheme-wise - his athleticism, the way he runs his routes, excellent balance, body control. I just think he's another tool for us, and you know me and tight ends.”
Bryant started out as an offensive lineman in high school before switching to tight end at the suggestion of his coach at the time.
“My junior year, we were in a big state final game, and I caught [a pass] on a tackle eligible for touchdown,” Bryant said. “He could tell I could catch well, and that is when I grew a few inches and lost some weight. That is when he put me at tight end, and it worked out for me.”
Over the last three seasons, Bryant has combined to make 142 catches for 2,074 yards and 16 touchdowns but his coming out party came in Columbus last year when he caught six passes for 79 yards at The Shoe.
“Going into that game, I knew that was the biggest football game of my life,” Bryant said. “Going in, I knew I needed to play well, block well and catch the ball well. I actually had a drop early in the game, but I rebounded well, finished really strong that game and really put some great things on tape that I think helped me out and really helped the Browns make this decision.”
He joins a group that already includes Austin Hooper, David Njoku, Stephen Carlson and Pharaoh Brown which means competition for roster spots and playing time will be intense.
“I just think there’s such versatility that we have in that room right now,” Stefanski said. “I just think there’s a good group that allows us to do a bunch of different things come the fall.”
Bryant has already done his homework on Hooper and Njoku.
“I am obviously extremely excited to join this group of tight ends and two really, really, really good tight ends,” Bryant said. “I have watched a lot of tape on Hooper, as well as Njoku. To come in and join this group and just be able to do whatever I can to help produce and make the tight end room successful, I’m ready to do.”
Stefanski has made the use of tight ends the foundation of his offense and executive vice president of football operations and general manager Andrew Berry once again delivered a piece that fits Cleveland’s new coaching philosophy.
“When you have guys that can line up in multiple spots, you can split them out, you can also keep them on the line, you can put them in the backfield,” Stefanski said. “It just allows you to attack the defense and they don’t know exactly where you’re going to line up. It also keeps the defense in base a lot of times and when you keep a team in base sometimes you can quiet them down and maybe quiet their pressures down.
“Teams are so used to playing nickel these days that there’s value in keeping them in their base defense.”
