Bryan Bresee

Saints Sign Round 1 DT Bryan Bresee

May 16th, 2023 at 2:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

After David Onyemata followed former position coach Ryan Nielsen to Atlanta early in free agency, the Saints addressed their defensive tackle need with their first draft choice. They now have their top pick under contract.

The Saints agreed to terms with first-round pick Bryan Bresee on Tuesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Clemson product will be tied to a four-year, $12.26MM deal, one that will include a fifth-year option for the 2027 season. The Saints do not have to decide on Bresee’s option until May 2026. Bresee’s contract is fully guaranteed, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets.

New Orleans gave Derek Carr a four-year, $150MM deal, tying up its free agency funds. The team let Onyemata, Marcus Davenport and Kentavius Street walk but moved to restock its D-line this offseason. Prior to drafting Bresee at No. 29 — the pick the team obtained from the Broncos in the Sean Payton trade — the Saints signed DTs Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd. These two will work with Bresee alongside Cam Jordan along New Orleans’ front.

Arriving at Clemson as 2020’s top overall recruit, Bresee did not deliver the dominant college career his high school profile suggested. A 2021 ACL tear sidetracked Bresee’s progress, but he returned to action last year and did not see his draft stock fall too far. He started as a true freshman in 2020 and rallied back from his sophomore knee injury to earn second-team All-ACC acclaim last season. Nearly two years removed from his setback, the powerful interior defender should be better positioned to develop in New Orleans.

The Saints have now drafted five first-round defensive linemen since 2011, with Bresee following Jordan (2011), Sheldon Rankins (2016), Davenport (2018) and Payton Turner (2021). The team also used its second-round pick on a defensive end, taking Isaiah Foskey 40th overall out of Notre Dame. Foskey remains unsigned.

Saints Select DT Bryan Bresee At No. 29

April 27th, 2023 at 10:36pm CST by Ben Levine

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.

DL Notes: Reed, Donald, Colts, Steelers, Cards, Jags, Jets, Bucs, Panthers, Texans

April 19th, 2023 at 4:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jarran Reed‘s initial Seahawks tenure ended strangely, with the team’s attempt at a restructure leading to a communication breakdown that ended with the defensive tackle’s release. After Reed sought a Seahawks extension during the offseason in which the COVID-19 pandemic led to a salary cap reduction, he ended up signing a one-year deal with the Chiefs. That preceded a 2022 Packers pact. Reed is now back in Seattle, having signed a two-year, $9MM deal.

The veteran D-lineman said, via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta, neither side wanted to part ways in 2021 and that he remained interested in a potential return while away. The Seahawks called Reed early in free agency, and the sides agreed to terms on what is a less lucrative contract compared to the one the team removed from its payroll two years ago (two years, $23MM). Reed, 30, will join Dre’Mont Jones as Seattle D-tackle additions.

Here is the latest from the D-line scene:

The Cardinals met with Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith on Wednesday, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), squeezing in a final visit before the deadline. They also recently brought in Texas Tech edge Tyree Wilson, Albert Breer of SI.com notes, adding the Jaguars also met with the former Big 12 dynamo for a late visit (Twitter link). The Cardinals hold the No. 3 overall pick. While Arizona has dangled it in trades, the team not receiving a viable offer opens the door to a best-defender-available pick. Wilson would qualify as an option at 3, though Smith — No. 17 on ESPN’s big board; No. 18 on Daniel Jeremiah’s — would seemingly enter Arizona’s equation after a trade-down maneuver.
BJ Ojulari resides as a possible option for a team late in the first round or in the early second, and a few teams brought in the LSU alum recently. The Jets, Buccaneers, Panthers and Texans met with Ojulari, Rapoport adds (on Twitter). The younger brother of Giants outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari, BJ profiles as a speed rusher. He combined for 12.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons with the Tigers, declaring for the draft after his junior year. Azeez Ojulari went 50th overall in 2020.
Both the Colts and Steelers have met with Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, per Rapoport and ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor (Twitter links). Bresee is in Indianapolis today. A former top-five recruit, Bresee is not a candidate to go in the top five of this draft. But the multiyear Clemson starter joins Myles Murphy as Tiger D-linemen on the Round 1 radar. The Steelers came up regarding Bresee last month, and while the team recently re-signed Larry Ogunjobi, Cam Heyward is going into his age-34 season. The Colts, who added former first-rounder Taven Bryan in free agency, have DeForest Buckner signed for two more seasons.
Buckner recently revealed he played all of last season with a UCL tear in his left elbow. Indicating he’s “not a quarterback or a pitcher,” Buckner said (via the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson) his injury will not require surgery. Buckner finished with eight sacks and a career-high 74 tackles in 2022. Although the Colts are at a crossroads after a wildly disappointing season, Erickson adds the team still views Buckner as a cornerstone. The former 49ers first-rounder is going into his age-29 season.
Aaron Donald saw an injury sideline him for the first time as a pro. A high ankle sprain led the Rams superstar out of action, and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic notes the all-time great underwent a tightrope procedure to repair the injury (Twitter link). This is not an uncommon procedure; Tony Pollard underwent the same surgery in January. Donald, 32 next month, has also returned to full strength, per Rodrigue. Two years remain on Donald’s record-setting contract.

Giants To Host WRs Jordan Addison, Jalin Hyatt; Team High On Jaxon Smith-Njigba?

April 11th, 2023 at 3:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Giants made a surprising voyage to the divisional round last season, they are still a team featuring some clear needs heading into the draft. A No. 1-caliber wide receiver is one of them.

The Giants have done their homework on this year’s wide receiver crop leading up to pre-draft visit season, spending time with each of this year’s top-rated wideouts previously. But they will continue to exhaust resources to gauge pass catchers’ viability. USC’s Jordan Addison will meet with the Giants next week, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt is also headed to New York for a Wednesday visit, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

One of the fastest receivers in this year’s class, Hyatt said his hamstring tightened up before he ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash time at the Combine. He did not run at Tennessee’s pro day. While both NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah and ESPN’s Scouts Inc. have Hyatt outside the top 40, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller views the 176-pound burner as a potential top-25 selection. The Bills, Cowboys and Saints have met with Hyatt as well.

Hyatt broke through for a stunning performance against Alabama — in Tennessee’s October win — with a 207-yard, five-touchdown display. Hyatt rode that outing to the Biletnikoff award. Last year represented Hyatt’s only notable run of production with the Volunteers; prior to his 1,267-yard season, the 6-foot target did not top 300 receiving yards in 2020 or ’21.

The Giants, who hold the No. 25 pick, dined with Jaxon Smith-Njigba ahead of the Ohio State alum’s pro day last month. While they are looking into Addison, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano adds Smith-Njigba is the receiver the Giants most likely view as this class’ top prize. A hamstring injury nagged Smith-Njigba throughout last season, but his 2021 — when the slot player’s 1,606 receiving yards dwarfed the totals of first-rounders Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave — still has his stock high. Smith-Njigba might not be available when the Giants pick, and his skillset might not be ideal for a team hoarding slot types already (Sterling Shepard, Parris Campbell, Jamison Crowder to go with Wan’Dale Robinson). A number of teams are looking into the latest draft-eligible Buckeyes receiver talent.

New York is also doing work on front-seven prospects. Defensive lineman Bryan Bresee and edge rusher Will McDonald are on the radar, with SI.com’s Albert Breer indicating (via Twitter) the Iowa State edge visited Monday while the Clemson interior defender is in town today.

Once a top-five national recruit, Bresee bounced back from an injury-plagued 2021. Grading as Jeremiah’s No. 37 prospect, the 298-pound D-tackle could profile as a late-first-round prospect. McDonald saw action in five Cyclones seasons and finished two of them (2020, 2021) in double digits for sacks. The 6-foot-4 edge combined for 26 tackles for loss in that span as well. Both Scouts Inc. and Jeremiah slot McDonald — the Cyclones’ all-time sack leader (34) — 26th in this class.

The Giants are fairly well-invested on both their defensive line and at outside linebacker. They used the No. 5 overall pick on Kayvon Thibodeaux last year and have former second-rounder Azeez Ojulari going into his third season. Up front, the team has Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence. Both players are going into contract years, though Lawrence extension talks have begun. A Williams extension also would reduce his mammoth 2023 cap number ($32.26MM).

Draft Notes: Seahawks, Eagles, Carter, Steelers

March 25th, 2023 at 11:51am CST by Ben Levine

Armed with a pair of top-20 picks, the Seahawks have been busy evaluating their first-round options. This past week, the organization was busy scouting some of the draft’s top quarterback prospects.

According to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (via Twitter), the Seahawks sent a “contingent” led by head coach Pete Carroll, general manager John Schneider, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, and quarterbacks coach Greg Olson to meet privately with Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that the Seahawks also checked out the Pro Days for C.J. Stroud and Will Levis.

The Seahawks inked quarterback Geno Smith to a three-year extension, but the team-friendly nature of that deal shouldn’t preclude the organization from selecting a QB prospect in the upcoming draft. Seattle is in possession of picks No. 5 and No. 20, meaning they even have the ammo to trade up for one of the preferred targets. The more realistic route would see the organization staying pat at No. 5 and potentially selecting a signal-caller.

More draft notes from around the NFL…

One of the league’s most dynamic offenses is eyeing one of the draft’s most dynamic playmakers. Texas running back Bijan Robinson had a predraft visit with the Eagles earlier this week, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). The Eagles lost top RB Miles Sanders this offseason, but they’ve added Rashaad Penny to a RB room that still features mainstays Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott. As Garafolo warns, Eagles GM Howie Roseman has never selected a running back in the first round, and the organization hasn’t taken a first-round RB since 1986.
Jalen Carter has had a concerning predraft process. He had to leave the combine while facing charges of reckless driving and draft racing following a deadly car accident that killed a Georgia teammate and staffer. As Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post writes, the defensive lineman also “put on considerable weight” before his pro day, and his performance was described as “less than stellar.” When coupled with the potential run on QBs, Carter could fall out of the top-five, something that was unthinkable only a few months ago. However, one executive doesn’t believe Carter will experience a significant fall down draft boards and attributed the poor performance to tough coaching. “It really wasn’t as bad as how it was reported,” the exec told La Canfora. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. [Chiefs defensive line coach] Joe Cullen was leading the drills, and he went pretty hard on the kid. I don’t know if he was trying to make a point, but he had him doing the same drills as [much smaller linebacker] Nolan Smith, and he was really trying to wear the kid out.”
The Steelers could use the draft to add a defensive tackle, and the organization has already met with Michigan lineman Mazi Smith. Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com believes Pittsburgh would select Smith over Clemson’s Bryan Bresee at pick No. 17, but there’s a “a battle between the two.” Ultimately, Wilson says Smith’s “rough-and-tumble style” would better fit the Steelers’ mold than Bresee’s “finesse.” Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that Minnesota OL John Michael Schmitz met with the Steelers earlier this week, so the team is definitely keeping their options open in the middle of the first round.
Before yesterday’s pro day, Boston College wideout Zay Flowers met with the Saints and Giants, according to Pelissero (on Twitter). The projected first-round pick has put on 13 pounds of muscle during the pre-combine process, and Pelissero believes the wideout could add even more weight before the draft.

Clemson DT Bryan Bresee Declares For Draft

January 3rd, 2023 at 12:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Another one of the projected top picks in the upcoming draft has entered the pool of available players to join the NFL. Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee announced on Instagram that he is forgoing his senior college year and turning pro.

Bresee was the top prospect in the country in 2020, after he posted 35 sacks during his high school career. He therefore joined the Tigers with substantial expectations, which he lived up to immediately. In his freshman campaign, Bresee notched four sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss and one forced fumble en route to being named a Freshman All-American.

Things took a turn for the worse the following year, however. Bresee suffered a torn ACL one month into the 2021 season, and put up limited numbers as a result. The fact that he still managed 1.5 sacks and three TFLs in that brief timeframe demonstrates his disruptiveness as a pass-rusher and run defender, something which will of course make him a highly sought-after prospect in the spring.

After recovering from the injury, the 6-5, 300-pounder delivered another impressive season in 2022. He racked up 3.5 sacks, 15 total stops and 5.5 tackles for loss across 10 contests. That earned him second-team All-ACC honors, and left little doubt that he would choose to end his college career after three years and immediately head to the NFL.

Bresee is widely expected to be selected in the first round of the upcoming draft, with the possibility existing that he will be a top-ten pick. The same is roughly true of his Clemson teammate, edge rusher Myles Murphy, after the pair established themselves as NFL-ready prospects. Bresee’s missed time could represent a red flag for some, but his production in the passing game in particular will likely outweigh those concerns, especially if he impresses during the pre-draft process.