Limas Bryant? Martavis Sweed? Are these fair nicknames already being given to new Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant by several in the fan base?
I have now finished my study of every incomplete pass that was thrown in 2013 to Bryant and of those 23 passes, I have come away with 11 of them that one might deem as a drop.
Here are those 11 plays and let me know in the comments how many should be considered drops and whether or not the Sweed comparison is a fair one.
Bryant’s 2013 season got off to a rough start against Georgia as he came away with zero receptions on three targets. While this first pass is a little low, it’s a catch that Bryant has to make. Consider this drop No. 1.
Later in that same game, Bryant drops another pass that is underthrown. He did, however, have the defensive back beat and had quarterback Tajh Boyd made a better throw, Bryant likely catches the ball in stride for a touchdown. Consider this drop No. 2.
On this route that breaks inside against South Carolina State, Boyd again throws very low. I have slowed this down frame by frame, but it looks like Bryant still should have come up with this catch. There was no replay to judge, so this is a tough call. Consider this drop No. 3.
Against North Carolina State, Bryant fails to come down with this one-handed attempt on a high pass from Boyd. Is it a drop? I say no, but you can be the judge.
This next incompletion against North Carolina State is a result of Bryant double-catching the football and not knowing where he was in relation to the sideline. This is a drop.
Against Boston College, Boyd again underthrows Bryant, who clearly has his defender beat. It’s tough to label this a drop as the defender is into him just before the ball arrives. This play, in my opinion, should have ended in a 65-yard touchdown reception.
This is clearly a drop against Boston College.
I will let you judge this one as I can’t find a replay of it. It’s a fade route by Bryant in the end zone with 34 seconds left in the blowout loss to Florida State. Also, backup Clemson quarterback Cole Stoudt was forced to mop this game up. That last name ring a bell?
None of you are going to argue this drop against Citadel. This is very Limas-like. A little long of a throw, but Bryant has to lay out for this. Make the catch first, worry about scoring later.
A miscommunication here against Citadel or did Bryant just not get his head around quick enough? It’s hard to tell. Bryant gets a hand on it and I’ll let you decide if it’s a drop or not.
Finally, in the bowl game against Ohio State, this ball appears to go right through Bryant’s hands. The coverage on this play was fantastic, however, and it would have been one hell of a catch had he made it. Drop worthy?
Bryant is going to drop balls at the NFL level and especially because he only has 9 ½-inch hands and likes to body-catch at times. With that being said, I also think he’s going to make some spectacular plays like he did at Clemson with several of them being explosive in nature. Will Bryant ever be an 80 catch a season receiver? I doubt it, but he can catch 60 passes and 7-10 touchdowns a season starting as soon as 2015. He has a ton of upside and was a steal for the Steelers in the fourth round, in my opinion. We’ll see if he proves me right.
