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16	August 2018

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The Jacksonville Jaguars added to an already stout defense by drafting Florida's Taven Bryan with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night.

Selecting Bryan had more to do with potential than production.

The defensive tackle had 67 tackles Ty Montgomery Jersey Youth , including 5 陆 sacks, in three seasons with the Gators. He was a 6-foot-4, 291-pound enigma his first two years in Gainesville, but came on as a junior in 2017. He had 40 tackles last season, including six for loss and four sacks, while playing solely inside.

He really played well down the stretch, showing a quick first step and the ability to disrupt offenses. Although he never took over a game, he routinely demanded double teams on a defense that lacked depth and talent up front.

Jaguars top executive Tom Coughlin said Bryan has energy and enthusiasm to go along with play-making ability.

"He's powerful," Coughlin said. "He gets off on the snap. He can cause problems."

The Jaguars believe Bryan is just getting started, too.

He likely won't have to do much in his first season since the Jaguars are loaded up front. They have All-Pro defensive end Calais Campbell along with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Malik Jackson and Pro Bowl defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. Jacksonville ranked second in the league with 55 sacks in 2017.

"They're definitely good at what they do," Bryan said. "I'll just try to come in and learn from them."

General manager Dave Caldwell said Bryan was the last of four players the team had identified as potential picks at No. 29. And they had no problem adding to the D-line.

"At that position Youth Dalton Schultz Jersey , the more depth you have, the better off you'll be," Caldwell said.

Bryan admittedly took his football talent for granted early in his college career. He realized he was blessed physically, but he never thought much about it. He would casually talk about bench-pressing 450 pounds or squatting more than 600 pounds.

Teammates raved about his work ethic and weight-room feats.

So no one at Florida was surprised to see Bryan raise eyebrows at the NFL combine in March.

He covered the 40-yard dash in 4.98 seconds, one of five defensive tackles to break the 5-second mark, and benched-pressed 225 pounds 30 times. He topped all defensive tackles in the vertical jump (35 inches), the broad jump (9 feet, 11 inches), the three-cone drill (7.12 seconds) and the 20-yard shuttle (4.48 seconds).

Bryan grew up in Casper, Wyoming, as the son of a Navy SEAL. Bryan often tagged along with his dad to build houses. When they weren't swinging hammers or pouring concrete Authentic Su'a Cravens Jersey , they were hunting, fishing and exploring mountain ranges and the high plains.

Football took over Bryan's life as a teenager, eventually turning him into a big-time recruit from the Cowboy State. He ended up 1,600 miles away in Gainesville. He didn't become a started until his junior year.

"You can understand why," Caldwell said. "He had a lot of talented players in front of."

MILWAUKEE � For most of the season, the Milwaukee Brewers� bullpen has been the team�s anchor, slamming the door on victory after victory as the Brewers walked what manager Craig Counsell called a �high wire act.�

Now, though, the relievers are getting some breathing room thanks to a suddenly dominant starting rotation and when the Brewers open a three-game weekend series Friday night against the Philadelphia Phillies at Miller Park, they�ll sit atop the NL Central, 1 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Chicago Cubs.

Milwaukee�s starters have allowed no more than one run in four straight games and have combined for a 2.55 ERA over their last 12 despite the absence of right-hander Zach Davies Sam Darnold Jersey Jets , who�s out for a second time this season with shoulder soreness, and right-hander Jimmy Nelson, who�s yet to throw a pitch this season after suffering a shoulder injury last September.

�Our pitching has been outstanding all year,� outfielder Lorenzo Cain said. �The starting pitching, bullpen, have pretty much been carrying our team for the most part.

�We definitely need to step up as an offense and try to score some more runs. We�re putting too much pressure on our pitchers as a whole. They�ve been outstanding, have been holding the fort down for the team and doing a great job all year long.�

The offense fared well last weekend against the Phillies. Milwaukee scored 12 runs in each of the first two contests of the three-game set and tagged right-hander Jake Arrieta (5-4, 2.97 ERA), who gets the start Friday night, for four runs over 5 1/3 innings Saturday.

The veteran right-hander was off to a good start in his first season with Philadelphia but has allowed nine earned runs in his last two starts, spanning 11 1/3 innings.

He stands a good chance to snap out of that funk at Miller Park Preston Tucker Atlanta Braves Jersey , where he�s 3-0 with a 2.03 ERA in five career starts and is 8-5 with a 2.96 ERA in 16 career starts against the Brewers, including last weekend�s clunker.

That loss stretched Philadelphia�s losing streak to four games but the Phillies have won three of four since, including a 9-3 victory Thursday afternoon against the Rockies.

The victory marked a breakthrough for Philadelphia�s offense which had gone 257 innings without scoring more than three runs in a frame, hadn�t scored more than six in a game since May 19 and recorded at least 10 hits only once since May 17.

�The process has been there,� first baseman Rhys Hoskins said. �Sometimes it just feels like every break doesn�t go our way. We know that we�re capable of (high-scoring innings) every time we step on the field. But it�s nice to see it finally happen.�

The Phillies� bats will try to stay hot against Brewers� starter Brent Suter (6-4, 4.61 ERA), who held Philadelphia to three runs over five innings in his last outing.

The left-hander has earned a victory in four of his last five starts. He is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two starts versus the Phillies.

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