School: Clemson

Position: DT

Year: Junior

The Good: Bryan Bresee is an easy prospect to root for, with extremely high effort for a dude who tips the scales at 300lbs. Bresee is a very plus athlete for his weight and position; he’s an excellent mover who’s really quick off the snap. Bresee has both quick and powerful hands, which make him one of the better DT prospects at countering offensive linemen in recent years. Bresee flashes dominance as a 3-tech when he connects on timing and pad level, and he’s proven that he can beat OTs in straight-up battles too. Between his flashier plays, Bresee is a reliable run defender on the interior who excels at shooting gaps. He consistently gets his hands up in passing lanes too.  

The Bad: Bresee is inconsistently disruptive as a pass rusher, which naturally is the top knock against him. On some reps, he’s nowhere close to the QB at the time of release. Bresee is plenty strong but he doesn’t rush with much power; he’s way more the type to brawl in the trenches than drive back a lineman into the pocket. Bresee is pretty upright and tight-hipped too, which can’t really be fixed. Bresee is a strong run defender behind his natural talent and grasp of the position, though he is lighter than the typical IDL so he does get moved off his spot at times.

The Bottom Line: Skepticism over Bresee as a potential Round 1 prospect is understandable, given that his recent game tape is up-and-down and somewhat limited. Bresee gets a pass though, given that he dealt with personal tragedy and a freaking kidney infection that fluctuated his weight during the 2022 season. Towards the end of the season, particularly the ACC Championship Game against North Carolina, Bresee looked back to the part of a surefire first-rounder to me. We’ve already seen great football from Bresee at Clemson, and I’d bet that consistently great football is ahead in Bresee’s NFL future. Even if he’s a prototypical 3-4 DE, Bresee can thrive in any scheme and should be an every-down player. The below comp is admittedly lofty, but if it all clicks then it’s not an unrealistic projection for Bresee. 

Grade: Mid First Round

Pro Comp: Cam Heyward

Games Watched:

• Georgia 2021
• Wake Forest 2022
• Syracuse 2022
• North Carolina 2022

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