CLEVELAND — Kevin Stefanski apparently likes his tight ends, and the Browns front office decided to give him another one Saturday.
Cleveland selected Florida Atlantic tight end Harrison Bryant with their fourth round pick (115th overall) in the NFL Draft. The Macon, Georgia native was the top remaining player at the position on ESPN's board.
Although he played for the lesser-known Owls, Bryant made national headlines last season by catching 65 passes for 1,004 yards and seven touchdowns. Besides leading his team to the Conference USA championship, he was named a consensus First-team All-American and won the John Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end.
Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 240 pounds, Bryant was the sixth tight end taken in this year's draft, and is seen as a prospect with significant upside and starter potential. Although he certainly has the accolades, his stock likely fell due to his rather pedestrian combine performance, where he ranked in the lower half in drills among other players at the position.
Bryant will be the fifth tight end on the Browns' roster, and the room already includes high-profile free agent pickup Austin Hooper (a two-time Pro Bowler with the Atlanta Falcons) and 2017 first round pick David Njoku. Many have speculated about Njoku's future with the club, although officials have said he is still a part of their plans.
Of the five players drafted so far by the Browns, Bryant is the first to not be an alum of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The other players selected include:
- First round (No. 10 overall): Jedrick Wills Jr., OT, Alabama
- Second round (No. 44): Grant Delpit, S, LSU
- Third round (No. 88): Jordan Elliott, DT, Missouri
- Third round (No. 97): Jacob Phillips, LB, LSU