NFL Draft: Re-grading every first round pick from the 2018 NFL Draft: Number 29 overall, DT Taven Bryan
Defensive linemen Taven Bryan had what most rookies didn’t.
Time.
In most situations, first-round picks are expected to come in and not only start right away but also produce at a high level. In the case of Bryan, he had several players he could sit behind and learn from such as Calais Campbell, Marcell Dareus and Malik Jackson. The plan was to nurture him and watch the University of Florida product develop into a monster.
Yet, after Bryan watching his maturation process stall, the Jacksonville Jaguars could be on the brink of giving up.
In Bryan’s first year, he started only one game and put up pedestrian numbers of 20 total tackles and one sack. He’s gotten more opportunities and playing time over the past two seasons but the numbers just aren’t there. Despite starting in eight games this past year, Bryan put up career lows across the board including total tackles with 18, tackles for loss with three and sacks with 0.5.
We tried to look on the bright side with Bryan, but there’s simply nowhere on the field where he excels. If he doesn’t make a big jump this year, the Jags could end up pushing him out the door.
Grade: D-