The Saints are adding a three-time All-ACC defensive lineman. With the No. 29 pick, New Orleans selected Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee.
Bresee joined defensive end Myles Murphy as Clemson D-linemen taken near the end of Round 1 tonight. The Saints will bet on the upside of a former No. 1 overall national recruit. A 2021 ACL tear sidetracked Bresee’s college career, but he returned to action last year and did not see his draft stock fall too far.
After a four-game 2021, Bresee made it back to play in 10 Tigers contests as a junior last season. The former 35-sack high school phenom tallied nine in what ultimately proved to be a somewhat underwhelming — based on expectations — college career. The five-star player still started 10 games as a true freshman and rallied back to earn second-team All-ACC acclaim as a junior. He closed his Clemson run with nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss.
The 298-pound defender offers some untapped potential, seeing as he will be nearly two years removed from the knee injury when he debuts for the Saints. New Orleans lost longtime defensive tackle starter David Onyemata early in free agency; he followed co-DC Ryan Nielsen to Atlanta, where he is now the Falcons’ defensive play-caller. The Saints made some midlevel investments in the wake of Onyemata’s divisional defection, signing ex-Chief Khalen Saunders and ex-Jet Nathan Shepherd. But Bresee suddenly becomes the team’s highest-profile interior D-lineman.
Saints are looking good! Good defense. Good offensive weapons. Derrick Carr should help stabilize the QB position. Hopefully Alvin Kamara resolves his off the field issue so he doesn’t get suspended. And Michael Thomas stays healthy. Should be a fun team.
They have enough manpower at DE, but they could probably use some more talent there. It should be a pretty strong team, though.