Mel Kiper has seen it all. ESPN’s senior NFL draft analyst shared his instant reaction to the New Orleans Saints selecting Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee at No. 29 overall on Thursday night, and he feels that the move addressed their top position of need.
Here’s what Kiper had to say of the pick, as transcribed by Clemson Wire’s Alex Turri:
“Damascus High School, he was rated anywhere between 1 and 3 (recruit in the country). He was also on the basketball team. When he came in in 2020 with Myles Murphy and Trenton Simpson, linebacker, he looked like he was going to be a top-10 pick, top-15 pick at worst. He had a great 2020 season, 6.5 tackles for loss and he had 4, 4.5 sacks that year, forced a fumble.
He was really active along the interior, really got after it. (2021), starts out the season, then the ACL. Then this past year, his sister passes away, he has the kidney infection, and then he looked rejuvenated at the combine. Ran 4.93 at 6-5.5, 300 pounds. He looked like Bryan Bresee was back like he was in 2020.
You talk about what he means to that defense – the No. 1 need for the Saints, defensive tackle.”
That’s a good breakdown of who Bresee is, why the Saints valued him so highly, and what the concerns are for him moving forwards. He’s a high-end athlete with a bit of an injury history and immense pro potential. Now it’s up to the Saints to help Bresee tap into it.
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