Yesterday, we wrote about Ryan Shazier being added to the list of breakout candidates in 2015. Today, his teammate joins him one spot ahead. Picked 17th, Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver Martavis Bryant was selected by NFL.com’s Kevin Para.
Para recaps his rookie season, pointing out Bryant’s NFL leading 21.1 yards per catch and eight touchdowns in just over 300 snaps.
“After watching all 61 of Bryant’s targets last season on NFL Game Rewind (including plays nullified by penalty and a whopping 10 postseason targets), his improvement with playing time was evident and sometimes downright impressive,” he writes.
One play that was isolated came in Week 16 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Bryant catching a 44 yard pass in the first quarter. It’s a play we’ve highlighted in a recent All-22 and for Para, evidence of that improvement.
Like Shazier, the wide receiver has his own areas to improve on entering year two.
“Too often he was inconsistent and would sometimes round off a route, giving a defender a free lane to the football.”
The article ends with a fun projection of his 2015 stats.
“On a deep, talented offensive team, a 69-catch, 1,108-yard season with 12 touchdowns would be a big step for a former fourth-round deep threat with red zone skills.”
The receptions number seems on the high side but the yards and touchdowns are quite possible for Bryant in 2015.
