Brevin Jordan came to Miami as the No. 1 tight end prospect in the country, per 247Sports composite ranking, out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. After a senior season in high school that saw Jordan rack up 1,111 yards and 13 touchdowns on 63 receptions -- as an unstoppable mismatch for opposing high school defenses -- he received 31 offers before ultimately choosing the Hurricanes. Jordan comes from NFL bloodline, too. His father Darrell was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1990 NFL Draft.
As Jordan makes the transition to the NFL, teams that are considering drafting him will ultimately have to ask themselves at what position does he best project? Although he was rated the No. 1 TE prospect out of high school, he showed up at Miami looking more like an fullback/tight end hybrid type. And Miami used him almost like an H-back with an average depth of catch of only 3.4 yards. Of course, there are some systems and coaches currently in the NFL who can make the most of an uber-athletic H-back type. That combine with Jordan's acceleration when kicking into his second gear and his tackle-breaking ability make him an intriguing Fantasy flier at a TE position so bereft of production.
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We're breaking down everything you need to know about Jordan from a Fantasy manager perspective, including best fits, Dynasty outlook, measurables, scouting report, key stats and an NFL comparison.
Fantasy fits
There's no better fit for Jordan than a Shanahan-Kubiak style offensive system, and who better to pair with than Kyle Shanahan himself? Sure, the 49ers have George Kittle locked up, but they've never been shy about using multiple tight ends. Jordan projects best when used on slants, flats drags and up the seam where his acceleration and tackling-breaking ability give him more opportunities for yards after the catch.
The Jets brought over Shanahan disciple Mike LaFleur to run their offense and we can expect to see a similar look to what the 49ers do on offense. After trading Sam Darnold, it's all but a certainty the Jets will select BYU QB Zach Wilson, and his arm talent is a nice fit for utilizing Jordan up the seams and on quick-hitting passes. Chris Herndon hasn't developed into the tight end the Jets hoped he would.
Dynasty outlook
Jordan is not a particularly popular Dynasty asset at the moment and didn't crack Heath Cummings' top-30 rookie rankings -- and I can't blame him. However, similar to Jonnu Smith before him, Jordan's athleticism makes him a worthy gamble in TE-premium Dynasty leagues depending on his landing spot. He truly needs an offense that fits his skill set.
Scouting report
Strengths
- Took a massive leap from 2019 to 2020 from a route running standpoint. He improved in his suddenness in and out of his breaks.
- Was much better once he was utilized as more of a traditional big slot receiver rather than as an in-line tight end.
Brevin Jordan in the 3rd round of the draft to pair with Logan Thomas would be amazing. pic.twitter.com/l7VpArJhf1
— Notorious Z (@DCzWall) March 19, 2021
- Jordan's best trait is his second gear -- although he didn't run a very fast 40-yard dash -- he has a lot of burst and may have the best acceleration of any TE in this class.
- Untapped potential because he has played in four different offensive systems in three years at Miami.
- Started as a true freshman at Miami.
- Jordan displays excellent tackle-breaking in the open field -- almost looks like more of a running back than a tight end in the open field
Brevin Jordan is a matchup nightmare 😤#ItsAllAboutTheU | @CanesFootball @Brevinjordan pic.twitter.com/h2gokFohwu
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) July 27, 2020
- Can be a mismatch weapon in the slot against NFL linebackers and safeties.
- Better in pass protection than as a run blocker due to his footwork.
- Displays the ability to cut on a dime, which you don't often see from someone his size or tight ends in general.
Concerns
- Needs to get a lot better in contested-catch situations -- concentration is an issue on 50/50 balls.
- Is not the most natural hands catcher.
- Doesn't demonstrate an excellent ability to high-point the football and doesn't have great leaping ability.
- Jordan is not much of a red zone threat because he doesn't have a big catch radius.
- Had a lot of designed touches at the collegiate level and doesn't enter the NFL with the most expansive route tree.
- He's a willing blocker, but his technique has a long way to go and he ultimately may not have the frame to ever become a serviceable inline Y tight end from a blocking standpoint.
- Did not test out athletically from a speed and explosiveness standpoint as expected with just a 4.69 40-yard dash (he was expected to run significantly faster) and 31-inch vertical jump.
- Has packed on weight (specifically showing up at his Pro Day bigger) but still lacks size/length for the position.
Stats breakdown
| G | Rec. | Yards | TDs | YPC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 8 | 38 | 576 | 7 | 15.2 |
| 2020 v top 25 | 1 | 3 | 31 | 3 | 10.3 |
| 2019 v top 25 | 1 | 5 | 88 | 1 | 17.6 |
| Career | 27 | 105 | 1,358 | 13 | 12.9 |
Advanced stats to know
- 2.92 yards per route run vs. man coverage, per Pro Football Focus -- collegiate linebackers simply can't cover him.
- Breakout age was 18.1, per Player Profiler and this puts him in the 99th percentile.
- 21 broken tackles forced on 105 receptions, per PFF.
- 2.42 yards per route run in total -- highest among TEs; Kyle Pitts was 2.24 in 2020 (per PFF).
- Only secured 11 of 33 "contested catches" per PFF -- could be a major issue at the next level when coverage tightens up.
NFL comparison
I've seen a lot of comparisons to Patriots TE Jonnu Smith, and this is probably his best comparison from a size, frame, hands and speed standpoint. However, Smith trumps Jordan in every aspect of his game right now and was a higher-graded prospect for me entering the draft. Smith feels like more of a ceiling than floor comparison for Jordan.
