Who better to talk about the New Orleans Saints’ first-round pick than the man who’s been coaching him for three years? Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney is a big fan of his former defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, who the Saints selected with the 29th pick in the 2023 NFL draft on Thursday night.
Swinney says Bresee is a star in the making, telling local reporters in South Carolina, “Bryan is a guy that could be a Pro Bowler for years to come. He has that in him. And I’m just excited for the Saints because his best football is in front of him. He’s really gotten himself healthy, but this kid has been through so much. He had a great freshman year, missed his second year, got hurt, tore his ACL, and then he comes back and obviously his sister passing, he missed a lot of time and then he had a kidney issue. When this guy is on the field, everybody in the stadium notices.”
Bresee was a coveted five-star recruit coming out of high school, and he was on Swinney’s radar for a long time. He continued, “I mean, that’s just who he is, and he’s been that way at every level of football of his life from pee wee to middle school to high school to college. It won’t be any different in the pros; when he’s on the field, everybody will notice him. And the good news for him is, again, he is a high-value, first-round type talent that was available just based on where he is in his development.”
So he’s pretty confident of Bresee’s odds of working out in the pros. But Swinney knows as well as anyone that it takes more than athletic ability to go the distance. And he believes Bresee’s work ethic and commitment to his craft will take him far.
“This guy is the ultimate gym rat. He absolutely loves football,” Swinney said, “He’s passionate about practice, he’s strong and he’s just a guy that I think his teammates are going to love. He’s got a great spirit to him every single day. I think if he can stay healthy, he’s got a great future in front of him as a pro football player.”
