By Adam Aniba
Draft Prospect Spotlight; Brevin Jordan
In some ways, Washington exceeded expectations in the passing game in 2020. After starting 4 different quarterbacks and a slew of receivers opposite Terry McLaurin, they generated enough offense to stay competitive in many of their games. After signing journeymen and former college quarterback, Logan Thomas, Washington passed on drafting a tight end altogether in 2020. Fans were left scratching their heads and wondering if the coaches saw something in Thomas that most others teams didn't. The results were undeniable after Thomas finished the season 2nd on the team with 72 rec for 670 yards and 6 td's in his first season under Ron Rivera. Thomas found the team that believed in him and was willing to put in the work to develop the former VA Tech signal caller.
The last tight end that The Burgundy and Gold Report spotlighted was top 20 draft prospect Kyle Pitts (Spotlight on Kyle Pitts), who'll likely be long gone when pick #19 rolls around. The Burgundy and Gold Report is spotlighting another athletic freak that could potentially be available on Day 2 of the draft for Washington.
Brevin Jordan
6'4" 245 lbs | TE | Univ of Miami
Late 1st-2nd Round Grade
Career Stats (26 games) 105 rec 1358 YR 13 td's 12.9PR
2020 (8 games) 38 rec 576 YDS 7 td's 15.2 PR
Miami tight end Brevin Jordan drew national attention with his Sportscenter top 10 highlight reel catch vs Louisville. Jordan attended Bishop Gorman HS, which was a nationally ranked top 3 football program located in Las Vegas, Nevada. ESPN named him the #1 tight end HS prospect in the nation during his senior year and he went on to win 4 straight Nevada State Championships. Jordan received scholarship offers from some of the top schools in the nation with notable offers from some of the top SEC and ACC football programs in the nation. Jordan ultimately choose the University of Miami over the all others.
Jordan definitely has football in his blood, with his father Darrell being drafted in 9th round of 1990 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, and at 6'3" 245 lbs. father and son boast almost identical measurables. Jordan displays the type of big play ability that NFL teams covet. So why is Jordan rated as a possible 2nd round prospect by many of national draft evaluation sites?
Jordan missed seven games during the first three seasons of his collegiate career, due to minor ankle and shoulder injuries. Although some teams will drop Jordan on their board with potential durability concerns, the NFL Combine would have likely mitigated those concerns. In only 8 games in 2020, Jordan recorded 38 rec 576 YDS 7 td's with a 15.2 average per reception. With defenses focusing more on Jordan in 2020, Miami's offense was limited and had issues getting their downfield passing game going. What separates the Miami tight end from the others in this class is the way he was deployed by his new offensive coordinator in his final season with the Hurricanes.
In 2020, Miami hired Rhett Lashlee to be their offensive coordinator. He was viewed by many an an up-and-coming offensive mind in the college football world. WIth teams focused on limiting Jordan as a downfield weapon, Lashlee lined Jordan up in the backfield as an H-Back and routinely used him in pre-snap motion. You'd be hard pressed to see many tight ends being utilized as a receiver on screens and quick hitches. Although Jordan's overall production left a lot to be desired, it's notable that many of his catches that led to a 15.2 PR came on passes within 5 yards.
Jordan posted his best numbers after returning from a shoulder sprain during the final 3 games against Duke, North Carolina and OKL State. The Hurricanes tight end averaged 6 catches for a 103.2 YPR average in those matchups and truly looked like an NFL caliber tight end. The change in Jordan because of the Lashlee hire at Miami was noticeable. Jordan looked more focused and precise in his route running and timing off the snap. His improvement as a blocker is what should help forgive some of the durability concerns for teams.
Awards and Accolades
2020 Mackey Award semifinalist
2020 All-ACC, Second Team
2019 All-ACC, First Team
2019 Mackey Award finalist
2018 All-ACC, Second Team
Tale of the Tape
Quicker than fast, but short area & lateral quickness is impressive for the position
Shows disciplined eyes as a receiver, showing no fear when surrounded
Very good hands for the position
Trucks defenders after the catch and is often the last man standing
Wide catch radius allows him to adjust fairly easily to off target throws
Has the versatility to line up all over the field, including in the backfield
Extremely athletic which allows for creative play calling
Impressive in the open field and not often run down from behind
Displays the ability to gain separation with a subtle double move
Overall ability as a blocker was noticeable in 2020; has room to grow in this department and NFL level coaching will help
Fit in Washington
Fans were surprised when Ron Rivera passed on drafting a tight end in lasts year's draft and decided to, instead, sign converted tight end Logan Thomas. Many viewed going into the 2020 season with no proven tight end on the roster as a gamble. Thomas would go on to record 72 rec for 670 yards and 6 td's after recording only 317 yards and 2 td's in his career prior to Washington, silencing critics.
Rivera had another former Hurricane tight end during his days in Carolina with Greg Olsen. Although the stats for Brevin Jordan don't come close to matching some of the great tight ends to make it to the NFL from "The U", Jordan has something the greats like Jeremy Shockey and the aforementioned Olsen don't. Jordan gives coordinators the flexibility to never take him off the field and his ability to line up in the backfield as another receiving option is notable. Washington OC Scott Turner would be able to deploy more 12-man personnel (two TE sets) if pairing Jordan with Logan Thomas. But how high will Rivera draft a tight end? Adding weapons on offense is imperative this offseason and contrary to popular belief among fans, receiver isn't the only way to get there.
Some will choose to focus on the lack of overall receiving yard production Jordan had while at Miami and whether Jordan's durability concerns could push him out of the top 60 selected prospects. Fact is, Jordan didn't deal with any type of significant, long term injury while at Miami and early reports believe he'll walk into the draft with no long term durability concerns.
If the Hurricane tight end is available when Washington's 2nd round selection comes to pass at #51, Rivera should pull the trigger for Brevin Jordan and not look back.
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*Draft grades cross referenced with TDN grades