Seahawks 90-Man Roster Rundown: Coby Bryant

While lacking elite athletic traits, few defenders were more productive than Bryant at the college level and considering his ideal size, ball skills, and football acumen, the former Jim Thorpe Award winner should be viewed as a legitimate contender to start immediately for Seattle.

Corbin K. Smith | Jul 17, 2022

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason programs wrapped up across the country, NFL training camps will begin around the NFL in less than a month's time. To celebrate the new incoming season, the All Seahawks staff will be breaking down the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2022 campaign.

Coby Bryant, Cornerback

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 193 pounds

2021 Stats*: 44 tackles, two interceptions, nine pass breakups

*College stats at Cincinnati

Lightly recruited out of Cleveland, Ohio, Bryant opted to stay in state and committed to play at Cincinnati, where he played in all 12 games as a true freshman. By his sophomore season, the ball-hawking cornerback had vaulted into the starting lineup, registering two interceptions and nine pass breakups despite playing most of the year with a fractured hand. Over the next three seasons, with quarterbacks testing him frequently due to the presence of future top-five draft pick Ahmad Gardner at the opposite cornerback spot, he took advantage of a steady flow of targets coming his way by amassing seven interceptions, 19 pass breakups, and a defensive touchdown in Cincinnati's star-studded secondary. Racking up 44 tackles and reeling in a pair of picks for the college football playoff-bound Bearcats in 2021, he capped off an excellent college career earning the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back. Capable of playing outside and in the slot, the Seahawks picked him in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Best Case Scenario: Overcoming athleticism questions with outstanding football savvy and ball skills, Bryant balls out during training camp and the preseason to beat out Tre Brown and Artie Burns for a Week 1 starting nod. Picking off three passes while starting 15 games in the secondary, he earns PFWA All-Rookie honors and instantly looks the part of a day three draft steal for the Seahawks.

Worst Case Scenario: While Bryant has a decent first training camp and preseason with the Seahawks, he isn't able to leapfrog the more experienced Burns or Sidney Jones for a starting spot and spends the majority of his rookie campaign playing on special teams.

What to Expect in 2022: Despite his impressive resume headlined by a Jim Thorpe Award, Bryant somehow lasted until the fourth round in April's draft. While concerns about his athleticism may be warranted - his 3-cone drill time was in the eighth percentile among incoming cornerback prospects per Pro Football Focus - he still ran his 40-yard dash in the 4.4 range and his instincts allow him to play far faster than his testing times suggest. A technician with a great football mind who can run routes for receivers in the secondary, he has enough size, speed, and length to be a factor right away for the Seahawks and given the dearth of incumbent starters in front of him, he shouldn't be counted out as a day one starter on either side. A polished talent entering the league, the "Red Mamba" should be squarely in the mix against Jones, Brown, Burns, and fellow rookie Tariq Woolen vying for immediate playing time on defense as well as special teams and has all the ingredients in place to emerge as a day three bargain for the franchise.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Profiles

Published Jul 17, 2022

CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.