Ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft later this month, a longtime draft analyst highlighted 10 of the most polarizing players in this year’s draft class.

NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks, a former NFL player and scout, dove into some of the most challenging prospect evaluations in this year’s draft class and named former Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee among the most polarizing prospects in the class.

Brooks gave his “argument for” Bresee, a potential first round prospect, as well as his “argument against” the 6-foot-5, 298-pounder who faces questions about his durability — a torn ACL in 2021 cut his sophomore season short, and he had shoulder surgery before last season.

“As a former No. 1 overall recruit, Bresee offers a rare mix of talent and tools in a 300-pound body,” Brooks wrote. “The Clemson product has five-star ability and flashes “take over the game” potential at times. Although Bresee’s production does not always match his ability, the impressive heights suggest he could take his game up a notch as a pro.”

“Health and durability concerns are a major issue,” Brooks added. “Bresee has suffered severe knee and shoulder injuries that have limited his availability and impacted his overall production as a playmaker.”

A former five-star prospect, Bresee spent three seasons starting on the interior of the Tigers’ defensive front after signing with Clemson as the nation’s top overall recruit in 2020. He had 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 10 games this past season and finished his Clemson career with 64 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and nine sacks over 26 games.

Bresee has made the pre-draft rounds in an effort to further appeal to teams. He participated in the NFL Scouting Combine in early March before making his way back to Clemson on March 14 to take part in the school’s annual pro day. After running a 4.86-second 40-yard dash at the combine (the fourth-best mark among defensive tackles), Bresee did 28 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press at pro day and showed his athletic ability with a 4.45-second agility drill.

Some have pegged Bresee as a player who will come off the board in the first half of the first round while others have Bresee sliding to be a late first-rounder if not early in the second.

So, where does Brooks stand on Bresee entering the draft?

“Bresee’s raw talent and long-term potential make him a worthwhile gamble despite his health issues,” Brooks wrote. “If the Clemson standout avoids the injury bug and recaptures the all-star form that helped him shine as a freshman at Clemson, he could emerge as one of the true gems of the 2023 class.”

Dear Old Clemson has added the Tiger Sack Pack to our online store.  Save by getting the Two Pack of signed cards from two of the nation’s top defensive ends, Myles Murphy and Xavier Thomas.

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