Cheyenne O’Grady, TE, Arkansas
Cheyenne O’Grady might have been a top tight end in this class if it were not for the off field issues. He has the route-running ability to separate consistently from man coverage, and the ability to secure the football almost perfectly at the catch point. Pro Football Focus charted him with just four drops on 89 career catchable passes, and impressive percentage. He is very physical at the catch point, and on film made some tough catches over the middle, like this one against Mississippi:
…and he hung on to this how? 🥴 pic.twitter.com/tJh5WImxyd
— EJ Snyder (@thedraftsmanFB) April 5, 2020
The problem is, he comes with some off-field issues. His time on campus was marked by an arrest as a freshman for suspicion of DWI and possession of alcohol, suspensions from two different coaching staffs, and he eventually left the team midway through his senior campaign. He also admitted at the Combine to being in shape for the first time in his life. The team that takes a chance on his is getting a potential mismatch player in the receiving game, but is it worth the risk? Especially for a prospect on the older side, set to turn 24 as a rookie? The negatives might outweigh the potential positives.
Jacob Breeland, TE, Oregon
Provided an offense carves out the right role for him, there is NFL potential in Oregon tight end Jacob Breeland. He is a good receiver for the position, and shows the ability to create after the catch, something of a rarity at the TE spot. He had a pair of 66-yard touchdowns over the course of his career, one against Nevada and the other against San Jose State. On both he showed some acceleration away from the nearest defender after the catch. The problem is that he struggles as a blocker in the run game. If an NFL team uses him as more of a big slot type of receiver, he could provide a boost in the passing game.
Essang Bassey, CB, Wake Forest
If the job of a cornerback is to prevent the nearest wide receiver from catching the football, then Wake Forest CB Essang Bassey is one of the better players at his job. Over the past three seasons Bassey broke up 35 passes at the catch point, more than any other cornerback in all of college football over that period of time according to charting information from Pro Football Focus. He moves well, is confident in zone coverage and keys on the eyes of the quarterback at a high level. Bassey tested well at the Combine, with a 6.95 second three-cone drill which might bode well for a move inside to the slot. His lack of size (5’9″ 191 pounds) likely contributed to his slide down the board.
Hunter Bryant, TE, Washington
Many outlets, such as Pro Football Focus, considered Washington tight end Hunter Bryant the top player at his position in the 2020 NFL Draft. Bryant right now is more of your move-type tight end who shows flashes of being able to take on increased inline duties in the NFL, but will need some time to grow into that role. Right now his strength is as a receiver, who can operate out of the slot or the wing and use his combination of speed and athletic ability to work himself open against safeties and linebackers. He attacks the football in flight and almost always reaches full extension reaching for the football, avoiding some of the body catch issues that other players struggle with. Bryant does not have a complete route tree on his resume, but what he runs he excels at, as you can see him running away from defenders on post routes, shallow crossers, sit routes versus zone, deep outs on sail concepts, seam routes and wheel routes from the wing. Unfortunately, also has a bit of an injury history, as a knee injury suffered in 2018 ended his season early. This might explain why he slid out of the draft.