The NFL regular season is right around the corner, and going into it, NFL.com pegged one pivotal rookie for each team.
For the New Orleans Saints, NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein tabbed former Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee as the one rook most pivotal to the team’s success this season.
A multi-time All-ACC selection with the Tigers, Bresee was taken by the Saints with the 29th overall pick in this year’s draft.
“New Orleans’ run defense ranked in the bottom third of the league in 2022, giving up more than 130 yards per game, so it wasn’t surprising to see the Saints draft a defensive tackle in the first,” Zierlein wrote. “Bresee is a squared-off defender who plays with above-average energy and has the ability to be quite disruptive. The injury bug hit him hard at Clemson, but with a clean bill of health, the former five-star recruit is a top-notch talent on the defensive front.”
The former No. 1 overall recruit in the 2020 class, Bresee burst onto the scene as a freshman All-American and the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020 before a torn ACL and a shoulder injury derailed his sophomore season. Last season, he returned to earn All-ACC honors despite battling a myriad of issues that included family tragedy and personal health concerns.
The 6-foot-5, 305-pounder finished his Clemson career (2020-22) with 64 career tackles (15.0 for loss), 9.0 sacks, four pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble and a safety over 26 games (21 starts).
Bresee and the Saints kick off the 2023 regular season against the Tennessee Titans in New Orleans at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 10.
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