Playing tight end in today’s NFL is one of the most complex and difficult positions a player can choose. It requires versatility, physicality, athleticism and intelligence, all things that FAU’s Harrison Bryant brings to the table.
One of the most complete prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft’s tight end class, Bryant recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his growth as a football player throughout his career, his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, and what kind of player he’ll be at the next level.
JM: You played some offensive tackle in your past. You also spent some time playing defense. What was the transition to tight end like for you?
HB: I played on the defensive line growing up. Really, I spent my whole life, including a portion of my high school days playing offensive tackle and on the defense. Things didn’t change until my senior year of high school. I really enjoyed that. I actually caught two touchdowns as an eligible tackle during my junior year of high school (laughs). That was in the state finals.
My high school coach had a lot of experience and he told me that my best shot to further my career was to actually play tight end on a full-time basis. He thought that was my best shot to land a full scholarship. Naturally, I had to lose some weight to make it happen. I went through a maturation process and played tight end during my senior year of high school.
I feel like it was a smooth transition. I always felt like I could catch the ball well. The biggest transition was learning how to run routes. It took a few years for me to really grow into the position. It really wasn’t until my sophomore or junior year in college that I really started to master the position. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a lot to learn and work on, but things definitely changed for me during the early part of my college career.
JM: You flashed your potential as a sophomore when you earned 2nd-team all-conference honors. You took things further as a junior, earning 1st-team all-conference honors. In 2019, you earned 1st-team AP All-American honors and won the John Mackey Award as the best tight end in the nation. What changed for you as the years went by?
HB: I just had a lot to prove. Just like you said, I got better every year. There was a big difference between my sophomore and senior seasons. The biggest thing for me was how I started to mature physically. Things changed for me as I continued to get bigger, stronger and faster. I received a lot of help from our strength staff, and the training staff as a whole. I continued to work on my craft. I started to improve as a route runner. I worked on my blocking ability. There’s a lot that went into it. It was all about self-development. That’s what lead to the improved success each passing year.
JM: What’s your favorite part about playing the tight end position?
HB: I can’t pinpoint one specific area as my favorite. I’m able to do a little bit of everything. I feel like my biggest strength is my versatility. I pretty much lined up at every position on the field on our offense this year, besides the quarterback and running back positions. I feel like I had a lot of success this year. I was able to put a lot of good things on tape.
JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?
HB: It was a cool experience. They switched up the format a little bit this year. We didn’t really have a lot of inside information into how the process would go. In years past, our agents would usually have the schedule down to a tee but even they were left in the dark with this year’s event. It was the first of it’s kind. I was just happy to be there. I just went with the flow really. It was a lot of fun. Getting a chance to interact with the different teams and general managers was such a cool experience. I enjoyed meeting all of the other tight ends. We’re all in this thing together. It was a great experience.
JM: Taking every aspect of the combine into account, the interviews, the on-field testing and the medicals, what do you think is the overall impression that you left out there?
HB: I feel like I left a good impression out there. I wish I could have gotten a few of those testing result numbers a little lower or jumped a little higher but it is what it is. I went out there to compete and show what I can do. My medicals couldn’t have gone any better. I was in and out. I knew that my medical checks would check out perfectly. My interviews went really well. I feel like I left a great impression. The teams can go back to my film now and put it all together. I think the tape speaks for itself.
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?
HB: I was waiting for one of those strange questions, but it never came. I didn’t have anything that you would classify as weird or strange. I’m not sure why I didn’t get any of those. Every question I was asked was about football. I had a few questions about my family and personal life, but it was mostly football.
JM: I know that you’re keeping the teams private at this time, but have you met with many teams via FaceTime and Zoom through this unique process?
HB: I’ve had several FaceTime and Zoom meetings. I was actually able to head down to Boca Raton and work out privately for two NFL teams before COVID-19 shut everything down. It’s definitely been a cool and unique experience so far. It’s obviously been different for us than any other draft class really. Usually, we’d by flying around the country right now and meeting with several teams, but we’ve had to handle everything virtually instead. People might ask me for some insight into the process down the road, and I won’t have anything to tell them (laughs). It’s just been so different and unique for us.
JM: Do you have a favorite route to run?
HB: I would probably say that the corner route is my favorite. You can do a little bit of everything with it. I can take it high or flatten it out. I personally feel like nobody should be able to cover me on a corner route. There’s so many different ways that you can run it.
JM: If you could catch a pass from one NFL quarterback, who would it be and why?
HB: Every NFL quarterback is an extremely talented one. If I had to choose one, it would be Tom Brady. That’s still the GOAT right there. He’s the best to ever do it. Catching a pass from him would be amazing. He’s just down the road in Tampa now (laughs). There’s a lot of teams here in Florida but I’m gonna be thrilled to go wherever I end up. I’ll be extremely thankful.
JM: When a team uses one of their draft picks on Harrison Bryant, what kind of guy are they getting?
HB: They’re gonna get a versatile playmaker that’s happy to do whatever’s asked of him. I’m gonna produce at a high level. Off the field, I’m gonna do everything I can to improve the culture in the locker room. My teammates can count on me. I’m a big believer in relationships. I’m gonna bond with all of the guys and have fun with it. I’m enjoying the process.
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