It’s safe to say that Dennis Allen is a big fan of his team’s new first-round pick. The New Orleans Saints head coach spoke glowingly of Bryan Bresee with Round 1 of the 2023 NFL draft in the books, praising the 21-year-old’s athletic ability and mental fortitude in overcoming a series of challenges during his college career at Clemson.
“This player is an exceptional talent,” Allen began, during his Thursday night press conference. He rattled off the qualities that drew their attention to Bresee, “He’s big, he’s physical, he’s athletic, he fills a position of need and I think he’s going to be an outstanding addition to our team.”
“I put my eyes on the player and see what he can do. I see the size, I see the length, I see the athleticism,” Allen added.
Allen said there were two players the Saints liked a lot when the Cincinnati Bengals went on the clock one spot before them, and that they knew they’d get at least one of their preferred prospects — and since they chose Bresee after his Clemson teammate Myles Murphy was picked just ahead of them, we can infer that’s who he was talking about. The Saints did their diligence in looking into trades up and down from No. 29, but decided to let the board come to them.
But Allen took care to steer the conversation towards Bresee. He recalled their dinner meeting with him and several teammates surrounding the school’s pro day, “We had a great visit at Clemson. Had an opportunity to visit with him the next morning, put him through a workout. He did outstanding on everything we put him through from a physical standpoint, from a mental standpoint.”
Mental toughness was a big factor for Allen. He pointed to the hurdles Bresee has overcome — injuries, illness, and the painful loss of his younger sister to brain cancer — and his return to the field to play at a high level last year as proof of it. It should serve him well in turning pro with New Orleans.
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