Projections vary for talented NFL draft prospect Bryan Bresee

Bryan Bresee has projections as high as the top-10 for the NFL draft.

by Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Tue Jan 10 14:12:03 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON - Tiger defensive stars have been a force as NFL stars for a long time now, particularly on the defensive line. The most recent example would be Isaiah Simmons on the Arizona Cardinals, who has become an integral part of their defense. Now, Clemson has more defensive players going into the 2023 NFL Draft. While a lot of people are focused on defensive end Myles Murphy (who is set to be a top-10 draft pick), defensive tackle Bryan Bresee is also set to be drafted in the first round.

His biggest obstacle has been the injuries that he has suffered. He tore his ACL back in 2021 and was only able to start 11 games in the past two seasons for a multitude of different reasons, including being with family after the death of his younger sister Ella and being hospitalized with a kidney infection. However, Bresee has been able to tackle every obstacle he has faced, so surely he can do that again going into the draft.

Physically, Bresee ranks in the 91st percentile for his height among defensive linemen and is in the 74th percentile for his hand size. However, he ranks in the 47th percentile in weight, 43rd percentile in arm size, and 40th percentile in wingspan among defensive linemen. Where he lacks in size, he makes up for in speed though, ranking in the 98th percentile in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.77 seconds.

According to NFL Draft Buzz, Bresee’s greatest strengths are his elite rushing ability and he is skilled at getting the inside advantage. These strengths as an interior defensive lineman make him even more valuable in the draft since interior players are more rare and more expensive. Most teams, particularly with the high salaries going to quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers and wide receivers like Tyreek Hill, do not have the money to spend on other needs such as an elite defensive lineman and must satisfy that need in the draft.

With Bresee ranked as No. 9 overall in the draft and No. 3 among defensive linemen – only behind Will Anderson from Alabama and teammate Myles Murphy – Bresee is sure to be drafted in the first round. But this prompts the question of who will draft him. Right now, the top need for the Cleveland Browns is a defensive lineman, while this is the second-highest need for the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and the Seattle Seahawks. Unfortunately for the Browns and Saints, they do not have a first-round pick. However, the Bears, Falcons, and Seahawks all pick in the top-10 of the draft. The Bears have the most room in the salary cap out of any team, with the Falcons second. Therefore, they are probably not candidates to draft Bresee as they may address this need in free agency.

Every team does need an elite interior defensive lineman, whether it’s their top priority or not. So, there are a number of teams on the table for Bresee. With the NFL regular season now concluded, there are more reliable mock drafts with No. 1 through No. 18 already determined in the draft order. There were some surprising moves in this order, which could impact when he is drafted.

Pro Football Focus has Bresee going to the Detroit Lions with their No. 6 pick. This would be a good destination for Bresee since the Lions already have a good defense with Aidan Hutchinson and quite nearly made the playoffs this season. Their weakness is their defense and Bresee could easily help to fix that problem.

Another projection from Walter Football is that the Minnesota Vikings draft Bresee with the No. 27 pick. If Bresee were to fall that far in the first round, the Vikings would not be a bad fit for him as they are also in need of a better and more consistent defense. Minnesota finished the regular season allowing the second-most passing yards per game and ranked No. 20 in rushing defense. Furthermore, they allowed an average of 25.1 points per game, tied with the Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts for No. 28 in the NFL.

Regardless of whether Bresee ends up with the Lions, Vikings, or any other team, he will positively impact their defense and prove to be a problem for NFL offensive linemen.