Saints rookie may be the NFL's next nightmare on defense
New Orleans Saints rookie defensive lineman Bryan Bresee has plenty of expectations this season. The Saints have not been too reliable when it comes to first-round defensive linemen in recent NFL Drafts, so he is trying to break a trend. So far in training camp and preseason play, Bresee has impressed. His athleticism jumps off […]
New Orleans Saints rookie defensive lineman Bryan Bresee has plenty of expectations this season. The Saints have not been too reliable when it comes to first-round defensive linemen in recent NFL Drafts, so he is trying to break a trend.
So far in training camp and preseason play, Bresee has impressed. His athleticism jumps off the screen, and New Orleans isn't scared to give him the freedom to use an assortment of moves to win against offensive linemen. They won't limit him.
In the team's Sunday win against the Chargers, he had his biggest game so far. Bresee didn't record a tackle technically, but he created pressure consistently and recovered a key fumble. That fumble was caused by Payton Turner.
He also had one of the best defensive highlights of last week's joint practices with LA.
Bresee looks different than the DL players that the Saints have taken in recent seasons. Turner has struggled to see the field due to injuries. Sheldon Rankins was a 'fine' player, but his ceiling was limited.
Not to mention, Bresee has had more impact than most of the other players taken around him in this year's draft, like the Cowboys' Mazi Smith and Buccaneers' Calijah Kancey.
During his freshman year at Clemson, Bresee was a projected top-ten pick in his class. Injuries and other situations dropped him down boards a bit by the time he was eligible, but his physical traits never disappeared. There's a reason he was a top-rated recruit in the entire country entering college.
He just needed to stay healthy. So far for the Saints, he has done that.
The NFL will soon have Bresee on their radar when the regular season opens. He has a great opportunity against a below average offensive line of the Tennessee Titans as a matchup in Week 1.
© Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
