The Miami Hurricanes have a storied history of producing NFL-caliber tight ends, and the latest poised to join the ranks is Brevin Jordan. The junior enters the 2021 NFL Draft after being a starter basically from the onset of his time in South Beach, eventually earning second-team All-ACC honors.
In his sophomore campaign, Jordan finished as a Mackey finalist (best NCAA TE) and found his way onto the first-team All-ACC roster. His best statistical contributions came in an abbreviated 2020 season in which he scored seven times over an eight-game span, missing a trio of contests with a shoulder injury. This marked the second consecutive year with an injury that cost him game action.
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 248 pounds
40 time: 4.64 seconds
Jordan was disappointed with his results at Miami’s 2021 Pro Day, and he finished slower than expected. Times are unofficial, ranking from 4.62 through 4.69. He’ll never be mixed up with a burner, but there’s enough athleticism and functional speed to create separation even at the next level.
Table: Brevin Jordan NCAA stats (2018-20)
|
Year
|
School
|
Class
|
Gm*
|
Receiving
|
Rushing
|
||||||
|
Rec
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
TD
|
Att
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
TD
|
||||
|
2018
|
Miami (FL)
|
FR
|
9
|
32
|
287
|
9.0
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
—
|
0
|
|
2019
|
Miami (FL)
|
SO
|
9
|
35
|
495
|
14.1
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
2020
|
Miami (FL)
|
JR
|
8
|
38
|
576
|
15.2
|
7
|
2
|
1
|
0.5
|
0
|
|
Career
|
105
|
1,358
|
12.9
|
13
|
3
|
1
|
0.3
|
0
|
|||
*includes postseason/bowl games
Jordan is far from a finished product — as most rookies are, of course — and will need additional time to learn behind a veteran in the NFL. A strong coaching staff could accelerate his growth a smidge, but Jordan’s best career path is to play sparingly and learn mightily over the first two or three years.
Pros
- Can make off-balanced grabs look easy
- Capable of creating separation in traffic — an uneven gait and effective straight leg that can stutter a defender ever so slightly
- Versatile enough to lineup as a traditional “Y” tight end or be flexed into the slot — could even see worth in an unconventional design as an H-back
- Ideally suited for a West Coast-based offense
- Plays much bigger than his size suggests — compact build and can deliver a blow to defenders of all shapes
- Has a knack for feeling coverage soft spots
- Just enough wiggle as a ball carrier to create a few extra yards
- Improved as his career at Miami progressed
- Ample experience as a starter
- Upside for considerable growth with a patient organization
- Looked more comfortable as a route runner in 2020
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Cons
- Most of his glaring deficiencies come as a blocker — lacks size but doesn’t do himself any favors with poor technique and balance
- Could be limited to obvious passing scenarios if the blocking cannot improve dramatically — won’t ever be great at it, but getting to a level of consistently decent is a win
- Despite having a penchant for corralling off-kilter throws, too many balls are absorbed rather than plucked
- Lacks fluidity and may not be able to escape for many big plays as a pro
- Likely to struggle in contested situations — lacks height, reliable hands, and an attacking instinct
- Missed time due to injuries in 2019 and ’20
Fantasy football outlook
It’s hard to see Jordan being drafted over Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth, and there’s zero chance he goes before Florida’s Kyle Pitts, so the former Hurricane will be jockeying for third place among his positional mates in the draft. Early Round 2 is his absolute ceiling, although the first half of the third stanza is a more reasonable placement.
A few players’ attributes tend to stick out on film, most notably Jonnu Smith. They’re similarly built and share common ground in being raw prospects coming out of school. It took Smith some time to overcome shaky hands and limited ability as an inline tight end while he learned behind a consummate pro in Delanie Walker. Incidentally, Tennessee needs itself an obvious tight end of the future.
A little bit of Trey Burton, Eric Ebron and even David Njoku come to mind. All of these guys have the chops for occasional contributions but aren’t taking over games or winning over the hearts of fantasy footballers.
Jordan, in the right situation, will be a matchup play once he develops beyond being a reserve for his real-life team. The Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles make a fair amount of sense and would provide him a chance to learn something behind veterans before getting his chance to ascend the depth chart in a few years.
For the upcoming season, barring an injury thrusting him into a golden opportunity, Jordan is best left on the wire coming out of single-year drafts. Keeper owners should assess him with more optimism while not selling the farm to add Jordan to their rosters.