For many position groups in the 2021 NFL Draft, there appears to be a clear consensus regarding who the top two or three prospects on the list are. For this year’s tight ends, there seems to be some room for debate.

But as far as Miami’s Brevin Jordan is concerned, there’s no discussion to be had. A well-rounded player who did a little bit of everything for Miami, Jordan is clearly one of this year’s best prospects at his position.

Jordan recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network about how he’s been preparing for the pre-draft process, why his unique skill set will allow him to make a flawless transition to the next level, and which NFL quarterback he would love to catch a pass from.

JM: You’ve been playing the tight end position since high school. You played some running back growing up, but other than that, you’ve had a lot of time to focus on being a tight end. A lot of guys go through position changes but that hasn’t really been the case for you. How do you think that gives you an advantage as you get ready to enter the league?

BJ: I think it gives me an advantage because it’s given me the time necessary to become comfortable with doing everything that a tight end is supposed to do. I’m comfortable putting my hand in the dirt, I’m comfortable playing on the outside and in the slot. I’m even comfortable lining up in the backfield.

I did it all in high school and it was more of the same in college. I’ve always played all over the field. I think it’s an advantage, but in my opinion, my biggest advantage comes in the form of my background playing running back. I played running back until I moved to tight end in high school. That’s my biggest advantage. I’m a running back when I get the ball in my hands.

JM: How do you think playing running back made you a better tight end?

BJ: You’re asked to do so much at the running back position. You have to catch the ball, run the ball, and you have to play in pass protection. I’ve been doing all of that ever since youth football. That’s what I was doing as a kid.

That’s my biggest advantage. I’m going to get the ball in my hands and I’m gonna pick up several yards after the catch. I’m gonna try to make something big happen every time I touch it.

JM: We see that on tape. You touched on it a bit already, but you lined up everywhere at Miami. We saw you play in-line, in the slot, on the outside, and in the backfield. Miami had you play such a versatile role for them.

BJ: I really appreciated Miami for doing that. I love how they utilized me. They really helped prepare me for the NFL. They played me everywhere. You said it. There were times I was in the slot throwing reverse passes (laughs). I was catching sweeps. They played me everywhere. That’s the skill set that I’m gonna bring to the NFL team that drafts me. I can play anywhere on the field for the offense. Miami really prepared me for that.

JM: What can you tell me about the scheme Miami ran on offense? What were some basic talking points of that scheme?

BJ: I played for three different offensive coordinators in three years at Miami. My first two years, we ran more of a power scheme. I was more of an in-line guy in that scheme.

This past year, coach [Rhett] Lashlee really liked my athleticism. He put me in the slot a lot more. I was playing more like a receiver. That’s how we did things.

Our offense was very simple to play in. We only had like four different passing concepts. The terminology was super simple and easy to remember. A play call would be called like “Oregon” and everybody knows what to do. Everybody gets it. It was straightforward. We didn’t have a lot of terminology. Our offense was basically designed to allow us to go out there and play fast.

JM: I love that. An offense can’t play fast if it’s thinking too much. You’ve really taken a big step forward as a blocker. That’s one of the things that impresses me the most about your game. You talked about playing as more of an in-line tight end during your first two years. How did you develop that area of your game?

BJ: I became a better blocker with practice reps. That’s the thing with blocking. Practice makes perfect. You have to do it repetitively in order to get better at it.

Here’s the other thing. Blocking Gregory Rousseau and Jaelan Phillips at practice will definitely make you a better blocker (laughs). Those are two big, strong dudes right there. Blocking those guys in practice, they really made the game easier for me. I didn’t see anybody on gameday that was tougher than those dudes. The entire time I played at Miami, the hardest guys I ever had to block were on my team. I did that in practice.

JM: Blocking Rousseau and Phillips in practice sounds like quite the handful.

BJ: They used to whoop my ass (laughs). Blocking them, you’re really getting a true sense of what blocking NFL defensive ends is going to look like. Greg and Jaelan are both like 6-foot-5, 265 pounds. Sheesh, maybe 6-foot-6, 270. They run like tanks. They’re big, fast, agile, and physical.

Blocking those guys, I’m not gonna lie to you, they whooped my ass on occasion (laughs). It was a great experience in practice, though. I used to go into the game without any struggles. I already passed the hardest test in practice.

JM: That’s a great point. It clearly did wonders for you as a blocker. How have you been preparing for this process both physically and mentally?

BJ: I’ve been preparing like Kobe Bryant in the fourth quarter. I’ve been on go. I’ve been on full go, 10 toes down, pedal to the metal. I’m training two times a day.

I have a receivers coach and an offensive line coach. I train with both of them twice a week. That’s how I’m diversifying my training campaign. I’m constantly on the move. I’m constantly training both physically and mentally.

Physically, my body feels great. I have abs, bro. I haven’t had abs since the seventh grade (laughs). I’m getting bigger, stronger, and faster.

Mentally, I’m at a loss for words to even be in this situation. I’m so blessed. It wasn’t that long ago that I was just a freshman at Gorman [high school]. I was just a little pup, a deer in the headlights. Time flies and I’m blessed.

JM: I love that. We touched on this earlier but I really enjoyed how Miami used you in 2020. Your athletic ability was on full display. Are there any NFL tight ends that you watch in particular or maybe model your game after?

BJ: In today’s NFL, I really like Travis Kelce and George Kittle. Those are obviously the top two guys at the tight end position. Kittle is such a tough, do-it-all type of player. He’s the perfect mold of a tight end. He’s huge (laughs). He’s a hard-nosed guy. He’s not afraid to put his hand in the dirt. He runs crisps routes. I love to watch him play.

With Kelce, he has so much wiggle. He turns into a running back when he gets the ball in his hands. He becomes so slippery when he’s running after the catch. I like him too.

I used to like Antonio Gates when he was still playing. He wasn’t the biggest dude but he was such a problem on the field. I also liked watching Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. Those Patriots days were wild. Hernandez was really the No. 1 tight end there before Gronk was. He was the Gronk before Gronk (laughs). Hernandez was another tight end that turned into a running back when he got the ball in his hands. He had a lot of wiggle.

JM: Those are all great choices. I think you have a little Jonnu Smith to your game. The Titans line him up everywhere, you lined up everywhere at Miami. You’re both great after the catch too.

BJ: I like Jonnu Smith. I’m wiggly though. He has some wiggle, but I really like to wiggle, you know what I mean? (laughs). Smith will run through a dude’s face. I like to wiggle. Don’t get me wrong, Smith can put some wiggle on you, but he’s a big guy. I love his game too.

JM: Do you have a favorite route to run?

BJ: Nope. To be honest with you, I really don’t. I like catching everything. You can put me on a post, you can throw me a bubble or whatever. I really just want the ball in my hands at the end of the day. I’m just trying to make plays. Whether I get the ball behind the line of scrimmage or 15-20 yards down the field, I’m gonna make a play.

JM: The tight end position is one where rookies tend to struggle a little bit early on. It’s a tough position to make a transition from college to the pros. How can you avoid those first-year struggles?

BJ: I’m just gonna go into it with the same mindset that I’ve always had. I’ve always been willing to learn and I’m not afraid to make mistakes. You can always learn from a mistake. I’m gonna go out and play football. That’s what I do best. That’s what I’ve been doing my entire life.

I feel like some guys get to the NFL and start to overthink it. They overthink the process. Some guys might lose a little bit of confidence. For me, I’m a natural playmaker that’s still just 20 years old. I’m still a young cat. But I’m gonna do what I’ve always done. I’m a competitor at the end of the day. You’re gonna see that wiggle when I get the ball in my hands.

JM: If you could catch a pass from any NFL quarterback, who would it be and why?

BJ: Geez, that’s tough. There are so many great quarterbacks. You can’t go wrong with TB12 though. Tom Brady, that’s the GOAT right there. I admire Tom Brady and how he competes. That man is about his business. I respect it.

If you’re a football player, you can really relate to Tom Brady. Football is a rough sport and the NFL is a tough league. For him to still be doing it at the level he’s doing it at, you can’t do anything but respect it. You know that he puts in some crazy work behind the scenes.

JM: We’ve reached the point of the draft where things are happening virtually. How are your Zoom meetings going so far? Which teams have you met with throughout the process?

BJ: I’ve met with a lot of teams. I met with the Packers, Seahawks, Chiefs, 49ers, and Patriots. I’ve met with so many teams. I’m getting text messages and phone calls every single day. I can’t think of any other teams right now. Those are the five teams that I’m consistently hearing from right now.

JM: That’s great. I’ve really appreciated your time tonight, Brevin. This has been great. In closing, what kind of impact is Brevin Jordan going to make at the next level?

BJ: Brevin Jordan is going to make an immediate impact at the next level. I’m gonna come in and be a starter. It’s gonna happen through hard work, but I’m going to pull that off. I’m gonna be starting right away.

I’m gonna be an immediate impact player on a winning team. I want to win. Losing isn’t my cup of tea.