Bryan Bresee, IDL Clemson Tigers: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Bryan Bresee was a five-star recruit from Damascus High School in Damascus, Md. in the class of 2020.

All of the prospect profiles you see in this newsletter over the next ten months will appear in a free draft guide covering over 200 draft-eligible players. I’ve already covered Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Now we’re checking out one of my alma mater’s best players: Clemson Tigers defensive tackle Bryan Bresee.

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Bryan Bresee, IDL Clemson Tigers: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Medical redshirt sophomore defensive tackle from Damascus, Md.

Background: Bryan Bresee was a five-star recruit from Damascus High School in Damascus, Md. in the class of 2020. He was the nation’s No. 1 recruit according to 247Sports, Rivals, and On3.com. ESPN ranked him third in the nation with a 92 grade out of 100. He was one of the 25 highest graded recruits in 247Sports history. Bresee was the 2018-19 Gatorade Player of the Year in Maryland when he had 46 tackles, 36 tackles for loss, and 12.5 sacks. He played basketball at Damascus and averaged a double-double in points and rebounds as a junior. Bresee won a state championship as a high school senior while producing 30.5 tackles for loss, including 14 sacks. He graduated from high school with 134 career tackles, including 80.5 for loss, and 35 sacks. Bresee has three sisters, one of which (Kendall Bresee) played basketball for Mount St. Mary's.

2021 Production: 4 games, 150 snaps, 13 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 10 pressures, 1.5 sacks (Medical Redshirt Year)

2020 Production: 12 games, 430 snaps, 23 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 26 pressures, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 passes defensed

Awards: 2020 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, 2020 Freshman All-American, 2020 First-Team All-ACC, 2021 Third-Team All-ACC

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a torn ACL against North Carolina State (2021) missing nine games, younger sister Ella Bresee was diagnosed with brain cancer in April 2021

Pros: He's an explosive player when pursuing in space, able to catch running backs and quarterbacks from behind, twitchy get-off, initial step to win reps early, gets skinny for a guy his size, physically overwhelms linemen on prolonged drop backs, motor runs hot, made a bunch of plays against the run in the backfield on limited snaps in 2021 thanks to his initial quickness, hand power to stun offensive linemen and drive them back, strong two-hand punch, speed to beat the guard across his face, swipes past initial block in the running game and redirects to the ball, active hands to battle for separation from linemen, offers some alignment versatility

Cons: His pad level gets a little high too quick, not too much bend off the edge on stunts, don't think the arm length is anything special, hasn't been able to make much headway against double teams to date, gets stuck on single blocks in the run game too often, lower half is a little lean, pass rush moves are unclear, pop in hands is inconsistent, gap management is inconsistent, counters and second attack as a pass rusher remain developmental

Overview: Bresee is unofficially listed at 6'5", 300 lbs. He was off to a strong start before a torn ACL robbed him of an essential development season. With under 600 college defensive snaps to his name, Bresee’s draft profile remains incomplete. However, it’s easy to see the athleticism and raw physical tools that made him the prized gem of the 2020 recruiting class. His initial step, upper body strength, and ability to shoot gaps have resulted in frequent trips to the opponent’s backfield. However, we still haven’t seen Bresee develop the advanced pass rush moves and counters a player with his profile needs to succeed in the NFL. He’s also struggled with winning reps against double teams and in situations where he’s asked to anchor in a specific point against the run.

Overall, Bresee lacks the skill set to succeed in every defensive scheme but possesses explosiveness and raw physical traits. I think he's a rare prospect who could be a top 20 pick in 2023 or go back to school for his fourth year.

Role & Scheme Fit: B-gap penetration style 4-3 defensive tackle

Round Projection: Mid-First to Early Second

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 6-27-22