Double team rate at defensive tackle (x) by pass rush win rate at defensive tackle (y), through Week 5.
(ESPN Analytics / NFL Next Gen Stats) pic.twitter.com/mN5RBXVSx5
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) October 10, 2023
New Orleans Saints rookie Bryan Bresee is already putting offenses on notice. He’s seen more double-team blocks than most NFL defensive tackles this season, per research from ESPN Analytics and NFL Next Gen Stats shared by ESPN’s Seth Walder. Bresee is being double-teamed about 68% of the time on passing downs, which would rank inside the top-15 for defensive tackles around the league.
Bresee is only five games into his career but he’s drawing more double teams than veterans like Arik Armstead, Kenny Clark, Leonard Williams, Larry Ogunjobi, his predecessor David Onyemata and superstar defenders Aaron Donald, Jeffery Simmons, Javon Hargrave, and Fletcher Cox — among many others. He’s being given just as much attention as guys like Christian Wilkins, Quinnen Williams, and Vita Vea.
The young defensive tackle is drawing a lot of attention from opposing defensive lines. Bresee’s blend of size and agility have been on display early and often this season. Watch any game and you’ll see him pushing the pocket and winning his battles at the line of scrimmage. The box score doesn’t tell the full story but 1.5 sacks and a batted pass with 3 tackles for loss is a fine start through five weeks. Only Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Carter has more quarterback pressures (23) than Bresee (12) among rookie defensive tackles, and nobody else has broken double-digits per, per Pro Football Focus charting.
It’s a long season. Durability was the concern with Bresee coming out of college, not his level of play. So far he’s been doing a great of staying healthy and available (his 154 defensive snaps are second on the team among defensive tackles) and making the most of his opportunities. He hasn’t been perfect, but no rookie would be expected to be. Once Bresee is more consistently anchoring against the run and holding up at the line of scrimmage, he’ll be a threat to wreck a play on every down.
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