The Atlanta Falcons had a draft class this year that fans have reacted very positively to. As compared to years past, this one gives fans hope and excitement. This draft was strictly defense-heavy and hit every need without reaching for unnecessary positions. Likewise, their defense-wins-championships mindset didn’t end with the draft. Almost immediately after day 3 ended, Atlanta signed star cornerback Cobee Bryant from Kansas.
Shedeur Sanders was, without question, the biggest surprise fall in this draft class. However, that much media attention to this slide made it easy to overlook how crazy it was that Bryant never got selected in 7 rounds.
Falcons Find Hidden Gem with UDFA Cobee Bryant
Cobee Bryant’s Career with the Kansas Jayhawks
The nickname derived from the late Kobe Bryant wasn’t the only reason this guy made headlines at Kansas. To illustrate how explosive this corner is, he had an astonishing three interceptions in one game versus Houston this past season. He ended his career with 13 interceptions and 128 total tackles. He had two seasons where he had 4 interceptions, and he never played a season that had fewer than 2 picks. Of those 13 career interceptions, he ran two of them back for touchdowns. In short, he was explosive at Kansas. He quickly became a player the entire fanbase clamored over.
Cobee Bryant vs. Travis Hunter
His stats weren’t the only thing that stood out either. Bryant was a leader in the locker room. He used his play and his voice to motivate the team in big games, including against Colorado, their biggest win in 2024. The Jayhawks came away winning the game 37-24. Bryant sealed the game late in the fourth quarter with a pass deflection in the end zone. The game gained national headlines before it even started, with future 2nd overall pick Travis Hunter slated to line up at wide receiver against Bryant. The entire game the two talked and got chippy at the line of scrimmage. In the end, Hunter still came away with 8 catches for over 100 yards. However, Bryant got 4 pass deflections and the last laugh.
What This Means for Atlanta
So, how on earth did this guy fall out of the draft? It’s hard to tell for sure, but many experts speculate it is more than likely his problem with getting burned deep frequently in games past. Though he creates turnovers, that can sometimes lead to him getting beaten deep when in press coverage.
Despite falling as far as he did, Bryant was marked by many to go as high as the second round. PFF grades Cobee Bryant as a top-150 player in the draft. Bryant was a 3x First Team All-BIG12. Bryant’s accolades should all but prove despite the potential risks, he has an extremely high ceiling in the NFL. The former 3-star recruit never transferred; he worked his way up the depth chart at Kansas. He is loyal, and he’s a bona fide leader in the locker room.
The Atlanta Falcons are arguably winning better than any other NFL team since the beginning of the draft. They just landed a second-round talent as an undrafted free agent. That just doesn’t happen in today’s league. Cobee Bryant will get meaningful reps in OTAs and training camp at nickel. Expect him to shine here and make highlight plays that will pop up on social media feeds. With Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr. already being added from the draft, expect Cobee Bryant to help round out a secondary class that can be one of the best in the league.
Main Photo: [Kirby Lee] – USA Today Sports
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