Saints rookie Bryan Bresee taking first-team reps, impressing at practice
There is no secret to it. In the first round of the NFL Draft in recent years, the New Orleans Saints haven't had the greatest success when it comes to defensive line selections. Starting in 2016, Sheldon Rankins was the first-round pick for the Saints. Rankins had some bright spots, but he never eclipsed the […]
There is no secret to it. In the first round of the NFL Draft in recent years, the New Orleans Saints haven't had the greatest success when it comes to defensive line selections.
Starting in 2016, Sheldon Rankins was the first-round pick for the Saints. Rankins had some bright spots, but he never eclipsed the accomplishments of a first rounder. Rankins recorded just one year with more than four sacks in five years with the team. Not to mention, he was taken with the 12th overall pick that year. He didn't get a second contract from New Orleans.
2018 may be the most notable flop on the defensive line so far, though. The Saints traded two first-round picks to move up and take defensive end Marcus Davenport (rather than Lamar Jackson – who many thought the move was for). The edge rusher's physical traits flashed in small moments for the Saints, but injuries absolutely stunted his time in The Big Easy. He just never put it together with the Saints and didn't get a second deal, either.
The next on the list is 2021 first rounder Payton Turner. Turner simply hasn't gotten on the field for the Saints much at all. Between injuries and a lack of proven reliability at the pro level, veterans have jumped ahead of him on the depth chart in both years so far.
Payton has recorded just three sacks and 28 total tackles in two seasons with the Saints. It's been disappointing, but there still is time for him to develop. That hourglass isn't getting any fuller, though.
Well, the Saints dipped into the defensive line in the first round again in this year's draft. They took Clemson DL Bryan Bresee, a player with the versatility to play off the edge and inside for New Orleans.
A physical freak, Bresee dominated in his freshman year with the Tigers, but injuries and unfortunate off-the-field happenings lowered his stock a bit after that season. The good news? Bresee looks healthy so far in camp for the Saints.
His run-stopping ability has shown up for New Orleans so far, and he is generating pressure in the pass game. "Disruptive" has been a word often-used to describe his play thus far. Bresee's effort has jumped off the field for those in attendance as well. He doesn't take plays off.
Bresee's reports from practice so far have been gleaming, and he is getting first-team reps, according to John Hendrix and others.
That's notable when it comes to the Saints. They do not rush their young players into getting onto the field early on, but Bresee is paving a way to do exactly that.
If he can, it's a great sign that he can end the trend of first-round defensive linemen struggles in New Orleans. The defense needs him to produce in his rookie season. If he does, that line looks much different than it did a season ago for the Saints.
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