After finishing out the 2010 season starting the final five games (winning four) as a freshman Tyler Bray was a nationally recognized quarterback with expectations of vaulting Tennessee to the top of the SEC and giving this program their first first round quarterback since the legendary Peyton Manning.
But Bray never met the lofty expectations laid out for him after he burst onto the national scene despite a rocket arm and tremendous upside as a quarterback. Bray s footwork and mechanics didn t show improvement over his three year span at Tennessee and his decision making remained an issue despite 24 starts. Bray couldn t consistently pick up first downs and finish drives despite having two top 40 picks in the 2013 NFL Draft in Justin Hunter and Cordarrelle Patterson.
Tyler Bray's arm strength is appealing but he has a list of issues on and off the field he must fix. (AP Photo)Combine those on the field issues with concerns about his lack of maturity off the field and it s clear why teams decided to say thanks but no thanks on Bray before the Kansas City Chiefs reportedly picked him up as a free agent after the draft.
Described as lacking professionalism animated and eccentric on the sidelines and disinterested when facing adversity Bray s body language alone speaks for his potential inability to win over teammates in the NFL. Bray also was charged prior to his junior season for driving recklessly on a jet ski and faced vandalism charges after tossing beer bottles from his balcony in Knoxville.
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Throughout the draft it was clear teams didn t value this quarterback class. Despite projections of as many as four first round quarterbacks we saw just three go in the top three rounds. Only 11 quarterbacks were drafted through all seven rounds. This wasn t the year teams wanted to invest much of anything in the position.
As a passer Bray will need to polish up a variety of areas of his game if he hopes to not only be an NFL starter but even get a chance to stick with the Chiefs or someone else. Mechanically Bray needs to keep his release point higher and quicken it when working outside the pocket. Footwork wise Bray needs to reset his feet cleaner in the pocket and lean into his throws more consistently instead of relying on his natural arm strength.
Along with concerns about his accuracy in the short and mid range area Bray never developed the ability to work through progressions and make NFL level reads. Bray forced far too many passes vertically under pressure and missed open targets in the short and mid range routes.
The Chiefs (if the report is true anyway) likely will be hoping that going undrafted puts a fire under Bray to grow up and realize that just because he s naturally gifted the NFL won t give him a job on a pedestal. He ll need to earn his spot.
We ll see if he s willing to start growing as a passer and person now.
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