Following a strong rookie season as the Seahawks' nickel cornerback, Coby Bryant headed into the 2023 season with high expectations.
But instead of building on a rookie campaign in which he led the team with four forced fumbles, Bryant saw limited playing time last season, in part because of injuries, and also because of the addition of first-round pick Devon Witherspoon, who took over the nickel role. And not only did his playing time decrease, Bryant also found himself in an unfamiliar, and at first, undesirable, position, moving to safety.
Yes, the Seahawks had a lot of cornerback depth, but at safety they also had Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams and Julian Love blocking Bryant's path to playing time, so he wasn't very excited about the switch when defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Karl Scott approached him with the idea. Bryant had already moved from outside cornerback, his position at Cincinnati, to nickel during his first training camp, and now he was asked to learn a new position again.
"I wasn't all for it at first," Bryant said. "I had guys like Jamal and Quandre in front of me, but thankfully those guys helped me out a bunch. Being a young player and playing three different positions when you come, you don't understand the why until you grow older. It speaks to my versatility, so I was thankful that they did it."
The why, it turned out, would become evident a year later, with Bryant emerging as a starter and, as was the case as a rookie, a playmaker in Seattle's secondary. Yes, Bryant was still in a backup role to start the season, but he showed enough in practice and on special teams to impress Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald, earning a role in dime packages, then when Rayshawn Jenkins went on injured reserve last month, Bryant stepped into an every-down role as the starter next to Love.
In his three starts, Bryant has totaled 21 tackles, three passes defensed, his first career interception in Seattle's Week 7 win in Atlanta, and one huge hit to break up a third-down pass, the type of play that would have made Kam Chancellor proud.
"A fantastic play," fellow safety Julian Love said of that pass breakup. "Coby's playing his butt off. He's just a ballplayer. They tried to throw a flag on that one, but thankfully they made the right call on that one. He's flying around, he's playing with effort, he's straining. Obviously, you guys know him over the years, he's a special player. He's going to keep growing the more reps and the more time he gets."
Macdonald has been praising Bryant's play for most of the season, long before Bryant became a starter, and last week added, "Coby's playing really at a high level," making it seem increasingly likely that Bryant will continue to have a big role even when Jenkins is healthy.
Scott, who first approached Bryant about the move, lights up when asked about the cornerback turned nickel corner turned safety.
"I could talk for days about Coby, one as a person, but two the transition he's made," Scott said. "When you see Coby, he's a corner who doesn't mind putting his face on you, tackling, and he has tremendous ball skills. So sometimes we're uncomfortable with the unknown, and I think that was the case early on with Coby, but trying to explain to him, 'Man, I see it in you.'"
And given Bryant's relatively limited experience at safety—he only dabbled in it briefly as a freshman at Cincinnati before moving back to cornerback, his position in high school—the Seahawks expect him to only get better with time.
"His best football is ahead of him," Scott said. "He will run and hit, he has range, he has natural ball skills. He made a couple of plays on the ball in training camp that I asked the staff, 'Who in the back end can make a play on the ball like that?' And there's probably only a handful of guys who can do it. A lot of times, you put the work in and nobody gets to see it. But it's good for a guy like him to put the work in, regardless of who sees it or not, but now he's starting to reap the benefits of his work."
The Seahawks practice outdoors on a rainy day at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Wash. on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback Tre Brown (22) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks safety Coby Bryant (8) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback Dee Williams (33) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback Damarion Williams (37)practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell (6) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks tackle Michael Jerrell (65) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks guard Sataoa Laumea (63) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks tackle Jason Peters (73) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks tackle Charles Cross (67) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks guard Anthony Bradford (75) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks tackle McClendon Curtis (66) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks center Olu Oluwatimi (51) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
The Seahawks practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Pili (76) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks nose tackle Jarran Reed (90) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks defensive end Myles Adams (95) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks defensive end Myles Adams (95) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Pili (76) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks tackle Michael Jerrell (65) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks guard Anthony Bradford (75) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks tackle Abraham Lucas (72) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks center Jalen Sundell (61) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks tackle Michael Jerrell (65) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks tight end N'Keal Harry (84) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) and tight end Pharaoh Brown (86) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Dareke Young (83) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo (19) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks safety Coby Bryant (8) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks safety Jerrick Reed II (32) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks safety Jerrick Reed II (32) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks safety Ty Okada (39) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks safety Jerrick Reed II (32) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks tight end Tyler Mabry (85) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks tight end Pharaoh Brown (86) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Dareke Young (83) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo (19) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (1) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on November 13, 2024.
