The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Florida Gators’ defensive lineman Taven Bryan with the 29th overall pick on Thursday night in the first round of the NFL draft. The decision to select Bryan had something more to do with the potential than with the production.
Bryan had 67 tackles, which includes five sacks in his three seasons with the Gators. In his first two years in Gainesville, Bryan was 6 ft 4 inches and weighed 291-pound enigma, but it came on as a junior in the year 2017. In the last season, he had 40 tackles, which includes six for loss and four sacks, while he played solely inside.
Bryan had played well in the stretch, by displaying his first step and the ability to tackle offences. Even though he had never taken over a game, he had demanded double teams routinely on a defence which lacked depth as well as talent up front.
Tom Coughlin, Jaguars top executive, said that Bryan has the energy and enthusiasm to move along with his playmaking ability. Coughlin said that Bryan is dominant and gets off on the snap which can cause problems.
The Jaguars also believe that Bryan is just getting started too. He will likely not have to do much in the first season as the Jaguars are loaded up front already. The team has Pro Bowl defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Malik Jackson along with All-Pro defensive end Calais Campbell. Jacksonville ranked at the second position in the NFL league with 55 sacks in the year 2017.
Bryan said, “They’re good at what they do. I’ll try to come in and learn from them.”
Dave Caldwell, the general manager, said that Bryan was the last of the four players that the team had identified as their potential picks at No. 29. Moreover, they did not even seem to have a problem with adding to the D-line.
