From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Kansas cornerback Cobee Bryant.
No. 2, COBEE BRYANT, CB, KANSAS (Senior) — 5101, 171 POUNDS
-2025 East-West Shrine Bowl participant
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Cobee Bryant | 5101/171 | 8 7/8″ | 31 7/8″ | 76″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
THE GOOD
-Physical, feisty cornerback who likes to get hands on receivers to disrupt timing
-Plays much bigger and stronger than his size, and overall frame leads one to believe
-Long arms allow him to get physical with receivers throughout routes
-High-level ball skills; 13 career interceptions in four seasons
-Plays with a tenacious mentality; wants to come down and strike opponents with force in run game
-Great feel for routes and what offenses are trying to do; awareness is quite good, allowing him to freelance and make plays on the ball
-Has loose hips and good footwork to change direction with ease
THE BAD
-Undersized player with a thin frame; plenty of questions about ability to make the next jump from a size perspective
-Can be too physical and grabby in coverage at times, resulting in flags
-A bit overaggressive in coverage when it comes to trying to make plays on the ball; eye discipline is still a work in progress
-Tends to keep eyes in the backfield too often, which can lead to him losing feel for receivers at times
-Wasn’t truly challenged week after week by receivers in the Big 12
BIO
-Named a first-team All-Big 12 cornerback in three straight seasons, becoming the first player in Kansas history to do so
-Played in all 12 games as a senior, recording 37 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, a team-high four interceptions.
-Had three interceptions in a game against Houston in 2024
-Played in 48 career games at Kansas across four seasons, finished with 128 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 13 interceptions, 35 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries
-Recorded a pick-6 in 2021 and 2022 and averaged 14.7 yards per return on his 13 career interceptions
-Named after the late Kobe Bryant, and wears No. 2 for his mother
-Models his game after Deion Sanders at the cornerback position
-Competed in the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl in Dallas
-Former 3-star recruit who chose Kansas over Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ole Miss
-Lettered in football, basketball, baseball, and track & field in high school in Alabama
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Like the late Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, whom he is named after, Kansas CB Cobee Bryant brings a serious edge and determination to the playing surface at the cornerback position.
Though undersized a bit from a weight standpoint at just 171 pounds, Bryant plays larger than his frame, both from a physicality standpoint and a confidence aspect. He’s a talker on the field, constantly chirping at his opponents. His play backs it up, too.
Bryant’s weight is a concern, much as it was with former Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes coming out. But Bryant plays like he weighs 200 pounds. He’s not afraid to throw his body around to make plays, whether that’s working downhill in the run game or in coverage.
He’ll strike you.
This is a good example of Bryant’s mentality working downhill.
He can slip underneath one block and has the speed and vision to work around a second block, taking a great track to the ball carrier against BYU last season. Though he doesn’t wrap up here and goes with a shoulder to the chest, it’s a great hit from Bryant, one that pops the ball free for the forced fumble and leads to a scoop and score for him.
Bryant is most impressive in coverage, though. He’s a sticky man coverage corner with good movement skills, including loose hips and good footwork, which allow him to change directions quickly and stick with receivers.
Look at this rep against Colorado’s Will Sheppard in 2024.
Easy footwork to change directions, loose hips to open up and flip, and the ability to get eyes into the backfield on quarterback Shedeur Sanders, read the throw, and break on the ball for the pass breakup.
Really good rep there from Bryant and a good example of what he can bring to the table.
Bryant’s awareness and feel for things are next-level, too. It allowed him to make so many plays on the ball during his time in Lawrence.
Here, Bryant shows a good feel for reading the quarterback’s eyes, dropping off the vertical route against Houston in 2024 and jumping the crossing route for the interception.
Good ball skills here, too, high-pointing it and making the play with his hands for the impressive interception.
Bryant’s hands are quite good, too. Considering he was a receiver in high school, it makes sense.
He went viral for this interception in 2023 against Cincinnati on the road.
Bryant finds himself in a hole early, giving up the inside release on the vertical route. But watch the way he’s able to open back up and run, getting back into phase and not looking for the ball until late in the rep.
Then, when he looks for the ball, he makes an absurd one-handed catch for the interception.
One thing I really liked about Bryant, which I saw early on in 2024 but tended to fade late in the year, was his discipline in scramble drills. When it happened on the road against Arizona State early in the year, Bryant was textbook.
That’s how you plaster a receiver in a scramble drill. Don’t even worry about where the quarterback is, and don’t worry about trying to find the ball. Let your teammates do their job upfront.
Bryant immediately sticks to his receiver and never even lets him attempt to get back into the quarterback’s sightline.
CONCLUSION
Overall, Cobee Bryant looks like a nice complementary No. 2 cornerback in the NFL. One who can be physical, working downhill in run support, and one who can handle a man coverage role at the next level, too. He’s better suited for zone with his instincts. He’s sticky in coverage, has excellent ball skills, and will throw his body around to make plays against the run. My only real concern, though, is his size. His frame is largely maxed out, too, so it’s not as if he can add weight from a muscle standpoint to it.
With his size, he won’t be able to consistently match up against the bigger, physical receivers in the NFL, but he could serve well in that No. 2 role against secondary options in the passing game. He could even slide into the slot at times at the next level.
Still, with his dawg mentality and the relentless effort and energy he plays with, he’s worth taking a flier on and trying to develop further at the position. He has all the tools. His measurables just hold him back some. But you can’t measure heart and determination.
Projection: Late Day 2/Early Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.5 Rotational Player
Games Watched: BYU (2023), Cincinnati (2023), Houston (2024), Arizona State (2024), Colorado (2024), Kansas State (2024)
