2021 NFL Draft Rookie Profile: Brevin Jordan (Fantasy Football)
Anybody that’s played fantasy football recently knows that a reliable tight end can make a world of difference. They aren’t easy to come by, but the likes are Travis Kelce, Darren Waller, or a healthy George Kittle can be true difference-makers on a fantasy roster. Kyle Pitts has, rightly so, already been projected as the most likely tight end from the 2021 rookie class to join the ranks of elite fantasy tight ends (make sure to check out his rookie profile from Marvin Elequin). He’ll likely be a first-round pick in the NFL draft, but that doesn’t preclude another tight end from making a future fantasy impact. Travis Kelce was drafted in the third round of the NFL draft, Kittle in the fifth, and Waller in the sixth.
Brevin Jordan just might develop into the next stud tight end over the next few seasons. He’s a raw talent that has the potential to be an every-down tight end at the NFL level. Let’s take a look at his college career and how it might translate to the NFL.
Editors Note: This article is part of our Rookie Profile series going on until the 2021 NFL Draft. For more on each rookie, check out Andy, Mike, and Jason’s exclusive rookie rankings and production profiles found only in the Dynasty Pass, part of the brand-new UDK+ for 2021.
College Production Profile
| Games | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Rec | TD | |
| 2018 | 9 | 32 | 287 | 9.0 | 4 |
| 2019 | 9 | 35 | 495 | 14.1 | 2 |
| 2020 | 8 | 38 | 576 | 15.2 | 7 |
Jordan was heavily recruited out of high school, ranking as the top tight end (ahead of Kyle Pitts) and the number 33 overall prospect of his class. He started producing as soon as he stepped on campus in Miami and achieved a breakout age of 18.1, putting him in the elite 99th percentile. He proceeded to increase his receptions, yards, and yards/rec in each of his three collegiate seasons. In his final season, he was the second-leading receiver in Miami, tied for the team lead in touchdowns, and boasted a 31.5% dominator rating per PlayerProfiler. His numbers would have likely been even more impressive if he hadn’t missed a handful of games with various minor injuries over his Hurricane career.
Measurables
| Height | Weight | 40-Yard Dash | 247 Sports |
| 6’3” | 245 | 4.78 (HS) | 4-Star Recruit |
Jordan may tower over an average human being, but he’s slightly undersized for a profesional tight end. At 6’3” he’s the shortest tight end listed among incoming rookie tight ends with Production Profiles in the 2021 Ulitmate Draft Kit. His listed weight of 245 pounds, however, is rock solid given his relatively shorter stature. His 4.78 second 40-time is respectable but a touch slower than you’d like to see in a pass-catching NFL tight end. That time is from high school and given how fast he looked on the field, I’d expect him to shave off a few fractions of a second at Miami’s pro day on March 29. His size and speed combination should provide plenty of mismatch opportunities at the next level.
What’s on Tape
Full Games Viewed: Florida (2019), Florida St. (2020), Louisville (2020), UAB (2020)
1. Jordan’s athleticism makes him a YAC machine
The first thing that jumped off the screen when watching his tape was Jordan’s run-after-the-catch ability. When he catches a ball over the middle of the field he has a knack for avoiding big hits, often sidestepping immediate tacklers and getting upfield. If DBs do make contact with him between the hashes they frequently bounce off or, at best, bring him down as he’s falling forward and gaining a few extra yards.
His most impressive plays, however, came on screens and swings that got him in open space and allowed him to utilize his athleticism. It doesn’t take long for him to get up to full speed and while he runs like a freight train with a head of steam, he also has the ability to stop on a dime and change direction to get past a defender. He’s able to run through, around, away from, or quite literally over defenders, as seen in this impressive highlight.
2. He has no problem holding his own in the trenches.
Players don’t earn fantasy points by blocking, but they can’t compile any if they’re on the sideline because they can’t be trusted to block. This is especially true for tight ends who are often utilized as an extra offensive lineman. Given his measurables and the highlights I had already seen before diving into full game tapes, I didn’t expect Jordan to be much of a blocker. I was wrong. Jordan is more than just a serviceable in-line blocker, he’s downright good at it. He looks comfortable coming out of a three-point stance a understands how to use leverage when run blocking. He does a great job keeping his hands inside and running his feet to move defenders. He’s not a liability inside on short-yardage or goalline runs, which means he doesn’t need to come off the field in those situations and in turn, should have opportunities for play-action success.
3. He can hit the home run
Not many tight ends have the ability to stretch the field like Jordan. He can score in multiple ways, and that includes the deep ball. His route running isn’t pristine, but he’s adept enough to sell an intermediate route before breaking in the other direction and streaking downfield, as seen in this 76-yard touchdown catch and run.
What’s NOT on Tape
1. Contested-catch ability
For a player his size, it’s somewhat concerning that there weren’t examples of Jordan going over defenders to bring down a catch. He was used near the goal line but the touchdowns I saw were on relatively easy slants or out routes. As mentioned in the introduction, he’s slightly shorter than your typical NFL tight end. That could lead to fewer jump ball opportunities in the endzone, a key attribute for the top fantasy tight ends.
Even putting aside the lack of endzone fades, Jordan didn’t always do well catching with defenders near him. There were several instances of the ball hitting his hands and bouncing off when he was in traffic. According to PFF, he caught just 11 of 33 contested targets in his college career, leaving a lot to be desired.
2. NFL D-lineman and linebackers may cause blocking issues for Jordan.
As good as he looked blocking collegiate defenders, he’ll need to continue to improve to be successful at the next level. He shouldn’t have much problem blocking DBs downfield but edge defenders and linebackers are a different breed of speed and strength in the NFL. He could struggle run-blocking on the edge or second-level. When he’s asked to stay in and pass block there could be even more issues, as he didn’t impress when asked to do so for the Hurricanes. The good news is he appears to be more than willing to block, so if he gets proper coaching he’ll be capable enough to stay on the field as much as possible, though it may take time to develop.
2021 Fantasy Outlook
As the 2020 season showed us yet again, there’s a significant lack of talented tight ends in the NFL, at least from a fantasy football perspective. Jordan has all the tools to help fill that void but, as we’ve seen time and time again, tight ends take time to develop in the NFL. He may not take the league by storm as a rookie but could eventually establish himself as a top tight end for years to come.
It will take a perfect combination of draft capital and landing spot for him to make a significant fantasy impact in 2021 and I don’t expect him to generate much buzz in redraft leagues. However, he’s one of my favorite targets in dynasty rookie drafts. He’s entering the league as a hyper-talented 21-year-old with room to grow in the right NFL offense. You can probably snag him late in the second or early third round of rookie drafts, which would be a steal if he’s able to reach his fantasy potential within a few seasons.