The Atlanta Falcons had a massive win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15 on Thursday Night Football, as they came back from being down 14 at one point and secured the victory 29-28 on a last-second field goal. But one of the stories of the night is how they were able to contain Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans.

Cobee Bryant Performance Against Tampa Bay

Although Buccaneers’ wide receiver Evans had six catches for 132 yards in his return to the field against the Falcons after missing a large part of the season, Atlanta’s defense was able to keep him out of the end zone and even force an interception from quarterback Baker Mayfield.

A big part of that was Falcons’ cornerback Cobee Bryant. Bryant had a solid game against Tampa Bay, having five total tackles, one for loss. He even had a pass deflection on a ball that was intended for Evans.

Bryant’s coverage was excellent against the Buccaneers. Evans did catch a nice fade ball on Bryant, but he got a hand in there to break it up. Evans, being the veteran he is, was able to bring it down. Bryant is a corner who can play in the slot and outside. He demonstrated his talent and showed how he can be a valuable asset to the Falcons’ defense.

Bryant’s College Football Background

Bryant was highly touted as a prospect, coming out of Kansas in the 2025 NFL Draft. In his college football career at Kansas, Bryant recorded 128 total tackles, 11 of those being for loss, one and a half sacks, and 13 interceptions. Two of which were pick-sixes.

Bryant also had 22 passes defended, two fumble recoveries, one for a touchdown, plus three forced fumbles, all in 47 games played in four years. His best season was his senior year in 2024, when he recorded 37 total tackles, 26 of which were solo, four for loss, a half-sack, four interceptions, 11 passes defended, and a forced fumble.

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Bryant was even named the unanimous First Team All-Big 12. Bryant had three consecutive First Team All-Big 12 Honors, having an illustrious career at Kansas.

Even though Bryant had a productive college career, he was still undrafted in 2025. Bryant has nice ball skills and is quick, but after seven rounds, he wasn’t selected. Part of which was due to his size, as he stood only six feet tall and weighed 180 pounds, and ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash.

The Falcons signed him as an undrafted free agent, and he spent time on the practice squad before being called up for a few games this season. This year thus far, Bryant has six total tackles and a pass deflection. With his performance against Tampa Bay last week, the Falcons may sign him to the active roster in the future.