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Tyler Bray The Main Blemish In Otherwise Successful NFL Draft For The SEC

Darren Heitner, Contributor
Covering the intersection of sports and money


Eleven quarterbacks were selected in the 2013 NFL Draft. Quarterback Tyler Bray was not one of them. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

In a 2013 NFL Draft where a total of sixty-three Southeastern Conference (SEC) players were selected by NFL teams, former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback, Tyler Bray, went undrafted. It was a fantastic three-day period for the SEC, which broke a modern NFL Draft record for number of players drafted from any one conference. The glaring exception being the fact that Tyler Bray had not been selected in any of the seven rounds.

Bray, a physically gifted quarterback who stands at 6’6 and has been weighed around 230 pounds, had an impressive college campaign at Tennessee, throwing for a total of 7,444 yards and amassing 69 touchdowns against SEC defenses largely considered the most stingy when it comes to allowing offenses to score. He declared for the NFL Draft based on his effective numbers and physical acumen, leaving Tennessee prior to his senior season. However, in December, Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports noted, “Scouts praise Bray’s stature, arm and his gunslinger mentality, although the latter, coupled with questions about his maturity, will also give other NFL personnel people plenty to ponder.”

Despite Feldman’s concern, which was echoed by others, NFLDraftScout.com ranked Bray as the seventh best available player at his position going into the 2013 NFL Draft. The site, largely respected for its thorough scouting information made available to the public, projected Bray to be a third round pick. Eleven quarterbacks ended up being taken in the Draft. Tyler Bray’s name was not called.

Bray, represented by Los Angeles-based agent Don Yee of Yee & Dubin, was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent after the conclusion of the 2013 NFL Draft and will have the opportunity to make the team if he is able to show his effectiveness (with his arm and leadership skills) on the field. However, one must wonder what exactly went wrong and why Bray determined that it was in his best interest to forfeit his remaining student-athlete eligibility if he was going to go undrafted. Could he have possibly had any idea of his true Draft stock?

The NFL provides college underclassmen with an NFL Draft Advisory Board, comprised of various scouts, general managers and personnel directors, which intends to provide said underclassmen considering entering the NFL Draft with an unbiased opinion of where they are likely to be selected. Players can expect an analysis that tells them they are likely to be drafted (1) in the first round; (2) as high as the second round; (3) as high as the third round; (4) after the third round; or (5) in no round at all. It is an entirely free service that an underclassmen need only apply for, and it has no negative ramifications for an underclassmen’s continuing student-athlete eligibility.

It is likely that Bray filled out the application to receive his Draft grade from the NFL Draft Advisory Board and that he was told he was likely to be selected as high as the third round. The opinion of the Board is confidential; unless Bray or his agent speaks on the record, there is no way of knowing whether Bray went through the process and/or what he was told. That said, even though the NFL Draft Advisory Board’s opinion should be respected, it is not guaranteed, and minds may change between the time that the opinion is handed out and the start of the NFL Draft.

A message has been left for Yee & Dubin to inform FORBES whether Bray submitted his name to the Board, and if so, what was the Board’s opinion. As of publication, the agency has yet to respond.

Darren Heitner is a Partner at Wolfe Law Miami, P.A. in Miami, Florida, Founder of Sports Agent Blog, and Adjunct Professor of Sport Agency Management at Indiana University. Follow him at @DarrenHeitner and learn more about him at http://www.darrenheitner.com.