Defensive Tackle
Wendell Bryant
College: Wisconsin
Year: Senior
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 298
Birthday: September 12, 1980
Strengths: Wendell Bryant likely isn’t thick enough to play inside on the pro level, but that shouldn’t be much a hindrance. Scouts believe the athletic Badger is fast enough to cause problems on the outside. During spring drills, Wisconsin coaches lined Bryant up at all four defensive line positions, and hope to move him around in order to avoid the constant double-teaming he saw last year.
Bryant has the quickness to blow by linemen and the speed to run from sideline-to-sideline with any running back in the country. He doesn’t always win the initial push off the ball, but has a knack for staying in the play and forcing the action.
A smart player, Bryant has a tendency to come up big in big games. In three bowl appearances, Bryant’s recorded three sacks and five tackles for negative yardage.
Areas of concern: Bryant doesn’t have the girth to play inside, and might not be tall enough to play outside on the pro level. But what he lacks in stature, he more than makes up for with speed and athleticism. He’ll probably play left end in the NFL.
Bryant has a tendency to wear down as the season drags on, so he’ll need to increase his stamina if he wants to play full-bore for 16 weeks in the NFL. He can get pushed around at the line of scrimmage, especially at the initial point of contact, but that maybe a lack of concentration or effort more than a knock against him physically. Size and strength-wise, he can play with anyone on the college level.
Is he sponge-worthy?: One publication compares Bryant to former USC standout Darrell Russell, who was taken second overall by the Raiders in 1997. So, yes, he’s a definite candidate, easily one of the five best defensive linemen in the country.
What he’ll need to do in 2001 is put together a solid campaign from start to finish. He has the speed and smarts scouts like to see, now they’ll want to see the drive and desire. If Bryant can bring it all together this year, he could be a top five pick.
Wendell Bryant’s career stats YEAR TAK SACK TFL FC FR INT 2000 48 6 11 1 0 0 1999 48 7 9 0 1 0 1998 24 3 4 1 0 0 TOTALS 192 16 24 2 1 0 
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Wendell Bryant — Regardless of stats, he’s an All-American CBS Sportsline profiles Wendell Bryant.
Badgers’ Bryant telling agents to back off The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports on Wendell Bryant’s efforts to thwart agents.
Big game hunter The Daily Northwestern spotlights Wendell Bryant.
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