Mock draft season is ramping up as were are almost one month away from the start of the 2023 NFL Draft on April 27th in Kansas City, Missouri. The main priority for the Saints heading into the offseason was find their quarterback of the future and revamp their defensive front. New Orleans has been able to fill their first need, but there has been a consistent push of adding another key piece to the interior of their defensive front. The black and gold do just that in the latest Mel Kiper mock draft as the Saints take Clemson’s Bryan Bresee. Hear from Kiper on what makes Bresee a perfect fit for New Orleans and that he can plug in immediately:
“New Orleans, back in Round 1 after Denver gave up this pick in the deal for coach Sean Payton, is in an interesting spot. It just added quarterback Derek Carr, and it has a talented, veteran roster — with a few holes. It has tried to plug a few of those holes, notably by turning over the defensive tackle position, adding Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd in free agency. Those two defenders have never played full-time roles, however, so the Saints should add another tackle if Bresee is available. Bresee had a fantastic workout at the combine, making my risers list. He could see the field early and often for this team.”
Defensive Tackle is a Priority For New Orleans in the NFL Draft:
As Kiper notes, New Orleans have already started in filling one of their holes in their roster by adding Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd in free agency. The Saints lost Shy Tuttle and David Onyemata to free agency leaving the interior of the defensive line thin. With Tuttle and Onyemata leaving the Saints, defensive tackle has become an urgent need if New Orleans wants to make it back to the playoffs in 2023.
New Orleans did get some good news yesterday as they were able to bring back veteran defensive tackle, Malcolm Roach, on a one-year deal. Roach has been able to provide valuable depth as he is a viable option in the defensive line rotation. The only other active defensive tackle on the roster is Prince Emili and he spent the 2022 season on the team’s practice squad. It is becoming more apparent in mock drafts that New Orleans main focus with the 29th overall pick is that they are zoning in on adding one more body to their defensive line.
Bryan Bresee Scouting Report:
Bresee is one of the top defensive tackle prospects heading into the 2023 NFL Draft and he had an exceptional career at Clemson. He bursted onto the scene during his freshman campaign in 2020 where he was credited with 33 tackles (6.5 for loss), 4.0 sacks, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a safety in 432 snaps. Bresee was able to continue that momentum heading into the 2021 season as we was a Third Team All-ACC selection.
Injuries would limit the Clemson defensive tackle throughout the season, but he was still able to prove his worth during his sophomore season in 2021. During the 2021 season, Bresee recorded 15 tackles (3.0 for loss), 1.5 sacks and an interception over 154 snaps. He would end his collegiate career with a strong performance in 2022 where he had 16 tackles (5.5 for loss), 3.5 sacks and two pass breakups in 329 snaps in his junior year.
Bresee was able to battle through the 2022 season as he continued to show his worth heading into the offseason. Hear from the Draft Network on what tools Bresee possesses that he can bring at the next level:
The physical skill set is just so obvious when you view his full sample size of film, particularly when he was playing at full strength as a freshman and early in 2021. He’s won on some of the shallow twists, which allow him to open his strides as he gets into a gap. That offers a clear look at why he’s been so highly regarded as a prep recruit. I like him best as a penetration 3-technique. When he’s charged with quickly getting into the backfield, you can see him at his best. He’s twitchy and can rip through lateral contact in order to uncover and then flash to the football with suddenness. He’s capable of gearing down and flattening down the line of scrimmage out of these gap charges to get into pursuit of the football. “
Bresee is an explosive athlete that has great acceleration off of the snap. He is able to play with leverage and has the lateral agility to cover two gaps. The Clemson product is exactly the type of player that can immediately come in and contribute to the Saints interior. Bresee would be a steal at the end of the first round as he has the talent of being a top-10 draft pick. He also has the versatility of playing up and down the line.
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