The New Orleans Saints suffered a ton of losses along their defensive front in free agency. Kentavius Street, David Onyemata, Albert Huggins, Shy Tuttle and Marcus Davenport all signed deals with new teams, leaving the Saints short on depth.
They signed some free agents of their own, adding Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepard. But, the biggest addition came during the 2023 NFL Draft. With the No. 29 overall pick, the Saints selected Byran Bresee out of Clemson.
Bresee was a highly regarded prospect as early on in the process some analysts thought he had a chance to be selected in the first half of the first round. The Saints are certainly happy that didn’t come to fruition as they were able to snag him near the end of the round.
His talent was on display throughout his career with the Tigers, picking up 15 tackles for loss and 9.0 sacks in three seasons. Unfortunately for him, staying on the field was an issue. He suffered numerous injuries, playing in only 25 games in three seasons.
ESPN’s Saints reporter, Katherine Terrell, added that Bresee has also been taking advice from veteran Cameron Jordan throughout the team’s OTAs and minicamp. Jordan’s presence will be important for Bresee and the other young players looking to find their way in the NFL.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen has been impressed with the work that Bresee has done thus far. Despite scouting him intently before the draft, the Clemson product has still managed to surprise Allen and the coaching staff.
“He’s probably a little more sudden, a little more quick than maybe I anticipated,” Allen said. “The things I’ve been most pleased with is really his intelligence level and his work ethic. He’s worked extremely hard throughout this offseason, and I’m looking for him to be a key contributor for us.”
This offseason, Bresee has looked good during the team’s practices. He has already mixed in with the first-team defense and at worst looks like he will be part of the rotation up front. Should he be able to stay healthy, earning a starting spot certainly isn’t out of the question.
