NEW ORLEANS — The Saints first round draft pick and 29th pick overall was selected Thursday night. His name is Bryan Bresee and he's a defensive tackle who played for Clemson. As New Orleanians have proven their resiliency time and time again, it's safe to argue Bresee will be a good fit for the city, as he's come back from tough battles as well and proven his strength.
Bresee was with his family watching the draft, eagerly waiting and hoping for the call. Then it came.
"You ready to be a New Orleans Saint?" Head Coach Dennis Allen asked. "I can't wait. I can't wait," Bresee responded.
Allen was excited to announce the pick.
"He's big, he's physical, he's athletic," Allen said.
Bresee has overcome health battles including knee and shoulder injuries.
"I feel great from them now. Have no issues and I'm ready to go," he said over Zoom to members of the media following the draft selection.
During the draft, Bresee and his family members wore pink shirt reading 'Ella Strong.’ They are in memory of his younger sister, 15 year old Ella Bresee, who died seven months ago to brain cancer.
"I've gone through a lot this past year; Illnesses, the loss of my little sister, a lot of things that make you grow up very quickly," he said.
The moment he learned he would be a New Orleans Saint was for his sister too.
"She'd be glowing. She loved watching me play. She loved the atmosphere of football and everyone embraced her," he said.
He credits Ella for his motivation.
"Watching her battle every single day and keep a smile on her face, stay so positive, it was honestly just amazing to see and makes me think whatever I'm going through is not close to what she was battling every day," Bresee said.
As New Orleans welcomes him, Friday Bresee changed his twitter bio to say 'New Orleans Saints' and he tweeted: "Who Dat Nation...I'm Home."
The selection of the 6-foot-5, 298-pound Bresee added depth to a position group that could use it following the departures of several defensive linemen in free agency.
“He's big. He's physical. He’s athletic. He fills a position of need,” Allen said. ”He’s really good on the move. He brings some pass-rush ability inside. And he's a smart kid."
Bresee was named ACC Rookie of the Year in 2020 when he made 33 tackles, including four sacks and 6 1/2 tackles for loss, to go with a forced fumble, a safety, and 11 QB hurries.
He tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee four games into the 2021 season and also had shoulder surgery before returning in 2022 when his sister's death and a kidney infection limited him to 10 games. He finished last season with 16 tackles, including 5 1/2 tackles for loss and 3 1/2 sacks.
He also was at the heart of a defensive front that ranked 12th nationally against the run last season, allowing 102.7 yards per game.
“I'd be very careful just looking at statistics in terms of this year,” Allen added. “I just put my eyes on the player and see what he can do, and I see the size, see the strength, see the length, see the athleticism, and my brain allows me to have a vision for what I want to be able to do with that player.”
The Saints' run defense ranked 24th in the NFL last season, a precipitous drop from their rankings of fourth or better the previous four seasons.
“It wasn’t up to our standards,” Allen said of last season's run defense. “That’s an area we’ve got to improve on, and adding a presence on the inside is a step in the right direction.”
This offseason, defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen left the club and joined the Atlanta Falcons, as did former Saints starting defensive tackle David Onyemata. New Orleans also lost two other prominent defensive linemen in free agency, with tackle Shy Tuttle joining Carolina and defensive end Marcus Davenport heading to Minnesota.
New Orleans' depth along the interior was further thinned by free-agent tackle Kentavius Street leaving for Philadelphia.
Bresee said he has been playing football since he was a child in Maryland, and while he played several positions — including quarterback — in his youth, he always also played defensive line.
“I've just found a love for the interior D-line and pass-rushing and just everything that goes with it," Bresee said. “I've just always enjoyed it a ton. So, it's always been where I feel I fit the best.”
The Saints entered this offseason without a first-round choice but received one from Denver in exchange for letting former coach Sean Payton come out of retirement with the Broncos.
Allen, who succeeded Payton in 2021, is a former Saints defensive coordinator who continues to oversee a defense that has ranked seventh or better the past three seasons.
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