Scouting Profile: Cobee Bryant - CB - Kansas
Sales Pitch: Undersized feisty corner with excellent ball skills. Size will limit him to zone schemes but has the experience and instincts to stick as a starter.
*Gold Numbers Indicate NCAA T-25 for 2024*
Scouting Report
Cobee Bryant is a former 3-Star recruit from the state of Alabama, where he was the rare four sport star, lettering in baseball, basketball, track &field and football. Bryant was one of the leaders for a Jayhawks program that really turned it around in recent years. A four year starter, he logged 650+ snaps in three straight campaigns, receiving All-Big 12 honors in each season.
Bryant is a thin wiry corner with solid length and quick feet. He is a tenacious defender who doesn’t shy away from contact. One of the loudest players in college football, he has the exact demeanor you look for in a DB. Bryant loves to be physical in coverage and has quick active hands to disrupt route timing. His experience gives him a strong understanding of leverage and route concepts to always be in the right spot. Bryant is at his best in off-man or zone coverage with his eyes on the quarterback. His first step burst and fantastic instincts allow him to drive quickly on routes in front of him. He shows excellent awareness in deep zones to pass off routes as well. Bryant was a ball hawk in college, finishing with double digit PBUs and INTs for his career. His football IQ allows him to always be around the ball and his closing burst gives him the opportunity to undercut routes and create splash plays. Despite his smaller frame, Bryant is an excellent run defender. He is quick to close downhill and refuses to be blocked by receivers in space. His frame limits him to ankle tackles, but he closes with such speed and determination that he rarely misses.
Bryant lacks the ideal physical measurements for an NFL corner. He is a quicker than fast athlete with a very skinny frame. He lacks the tools to match up with top end WRs in man coverage on the outside. Despite his physicality, bigger WRs are able to blow by him at the line of scrimmage and at the top of his routes. Bryant has a bad habit of panicking and grabbing when this happens. Over the course of four years he committed 18 penalties, most of which come from being overly aggressive in coverage. The same aggression costs Bryant in deeper coverage. His desire to drive quickly on the ball puts him out of position and he is prone to being crossed up on in-breaking routes. Bryant’s attitude in run defense is fantastic but he is limited by his size. When blockers get hands on he is easily washed down out of the play. He also lacks stopping power as tackler which allows ball carriers to fall for extra yards.
Bryant profiles as a zone corner with inside-out versatility. While he may be skinny and lack man coverage traits, his mentality, ball skills and instincts will have a role on some NFL team. Bryant projects as a mid to late Day-2 pick with the ability to slide into early CB2/3 duties at the next level.