Leaving the 2018 draft, we kind of all assumed that Taven Bryan was going to be a back up in his rookie year who was extremely raw. I think we were down on him because we were losing but I think he has the talent to turn out to be pretty good this season. Any thoughts?

I don't have much to say about it other than I that I agree with you.   He passed my eyeball test physically.  He moves like an NFL player.  Very few rookie defensive linemen do much in their first season.  And from what I have read, he is a hard worker and willing learner.  So I have hope for the guy.

I think he started to improve his play at the end of the season, so with one year under his belt he will be ready to show why we drafted him in the first round.

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I see this take frequently. 

It's really funny how those two or three plays influence fans' overall opinion on the kid. 

In reality, ball awareness is an issue, but it's probably only a minor one. He'll be more experienced entering the season this year and the game should slow down for him a bit. I bet the awareness takes care of itself easily as he matures a bit.

As mentioned, hand technique and pad level are areas he needs to polish and I'd rank that well ahead of this inflated perception that he's "lost" out there. 

Those of you saying he's not strong...  I have no idea what you've watched. The kid looks as strong on bull rushes as nearly any 3 tech in the game. He's just raw and he has a full offseason to improve that.  Strength is the least of his issues IMO.

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As I mentioned in the other Bryan thread a few weeks ago, I expect he'll rack up some pressures at about a 7% clip and an 11:1 sack ratio on those pressures. 
So, if he gets around 700 snaps at 3 tech, we'd see in the neighborhood of 50 pressures and 4.5 sacks. 
Hopefully he exceeds those numbers, but that would be a solid contribution.

And the few times he did look like he got lost on the play, it usually came from him getting into the back field so fast, he simply ran himself right out/past the play.

I can't wait to see Ngakoue, Bryan, Campbell and Allen coming after QBs on 3rd down. There's a lot of explosion coming from those 4 in that lineup.

And I agree exactly about the strength comments. The one thing Bryan isn't lacking is strength and he showed that early. He's really strong, but he just lacks the hand placement/techniques to take full advantage of it.

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This. He didn't play outside very much for the Gators. He was worked mostly inside. And he honestly didn't play a whole lot for them to begin with. The Jaguars thought they were set to be a play-off team for the next few years after the 2017 campaign ended. They considered Bryan a project player to work in behind Campbell just based on his frame and showing at the combine. 

But he did seem out of place too much off the edge as a rookie. That's just from being extremely raw and we all know that. But the idea that he's not strong enough (and I am not aiming this at you) is hilarious. The kid threw 225 pounds up 30 times on the bench. And still cleared a 4.98 at the combine in the 40 at his size. Those are good numbers to have... for an inside defender who played inside at Florida. Not outside. At least not yet.

I think he'll find his home this year playing inside for us. He did use the bull rush move quite a bit off the edge as a rookie. And he was flat out moving guys with two hands in front of him at times. Maybe he was caught out of position and appeared "weak" and "slow" off the edge because he was thinking too much and trying to figure out how to approach his role. Moving him back inside is the best way to go.

Bryan said it himself in an interview that 3 Tech is the only position on the DL hes ever played, at any level.

It was obvious he was going to struggle when trying to learn/play a brand new position (5T DE) when hes literally never played it before in his life. Then you add onto the fact that he has to do it going against the best players in the world at said sport.

Lord Have Mercy. 

Say it Isn't So.

NH3...

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"AZANE"