2023 NFL Draft: Bryan Bresee - Clemson Defensive Tackle
Bryan Bresee - Clemson
Strengths:
1. Aggression - Violent, rough hands and a knack for always gaining steps against multiple blockers is exactly why Bresee is an elite prospect despite limited production. He does everything possible to get to the quarterback in pass plays, from spinning around tackles to throwing them aside.
2. Pressures - His ability to penetrate is his main strength as a 3-tech despite playing a bit too upright at times.
3. Agility - While Bresee does not have bend, he is surprisingly elusive on his feet for 300lbs. His has a rapid spin move, and he takes quick steps to accelerate effectively when shooting the A-Gap. He has many reps where he runs around the center or guard from both 3-tech and nose.
Weaknesses:
1. Closing Speed - Once he gets by the line, he is rather easily out-runned by mobile quarterbacks. He lacks the closing speed to effectively chase any player down who is scrambling outside of the pocket.
2. Run Defense - Along with a 5.2% run-stop rate in 2022, his tape in the run game is horrendous. He rarely makes contact with the runner, or disrupts the line enough for another defender to get through. He is not a reliable tackler, and is nothing more than a big body that gets pushed around in the run game.
3. Tackling - Very poor open field tackling. He does not get many opportunities to wrap up in open space given his role in the defense, but he missed a sack and TFL in just the three games observed due to his tendency of trying to tackle around the shoulders and failing to wrap up.
Grade: Mid-Late First
Pro Comparison: Ndamukong Suh
Suh was significantly better in the run game, but they are similar prospects athletically and stylistically.
Alignment:
A-Gap - As a nose tackle, Bresee has the shiftiness, strength, and aggression to effectively shoot the A-gap on passing plays. He will rarely get held up by the center alone, and frequently can collapse the pocket when doubled. Unfortunately, he is typically removed from the run game entirely, and should probably not be asked to play nose as a result.
B-Gap - Bresee is likely going to spend his career as primarily a 4-3 defensive tackle. His ability to still provide value and penetrate when doubled aside from simply requiring two offensive players is unique, and highly sought after in the NFL.
4/5-Tech - He takes a fair number of reps over the tackle, and his pass rushing ability one-on-one with any lineman is generally favorable. This is not the ideal position because of his lack of closing speed and prowess in run defense. He gets bullied by offensive tackles in run defense to the point of being a liability. That said, he can still be effective on reps from the outside, and will likely take some snaps from 4/5-tech if playing on a team that frequently mixes up their fronts. If he goes to a team that plays primarily odd fronts, it would be unsurprising if he settled into a full time role as a 3-4 base end as opposed to playing nose.
Edge - Lacks closing speed to be an edge rusher, and should never be asked to drop into coverage.
Attributes (Grade/10):
Attributes | Bend | 2 |
Burst | 7.5 | |
Motor | 9 |
Bend: Great agility, but no real bend in his game. As a tackle, this should not inhibit him too significantly.
Burst: For his size, Bresee has excellent burst off of the line. His first steps are powerful, and he typically gets the first push up the middle. This does not translate to closing speed or strength in run defense, as his acceleration in the open field is not impressive.
Motor: Bresee does not give up on plays, continuing to drive forward and attempting additional moves during extended plays. This is also likely a reason his snap percentage is rather low.
Skillset | Pass Rush | 8.5 |
Run Defense | 3 | |
Coverage | NA |
Pass Rush: This is where Bresee excels. He has excellent rips and swim moves that frequently allow him to create pressure. He can collapse the pocket with his strength, and is a menace at the line with his aggression and violent hands. If he can work on his pad level consistency, then this grade could be even higher.
Run Defense: Poor tackling along with the inability to penetrate against run blocking results in poor numbers and film in the run game. Missing tackles even when he is in position does not help his case.
Coverage: Not asked to drop into coverage as an interior defensive lineman.
Hands | Placement | 5 |
Effectiveness | 7 | |
Quickness | 8 |
Placement: Occasionally, Bresee has excellent hand placement. This usually is not the case with his arms flailing about wildly instead. Refining his technique will help tremendously with his consistency.
Effectiveness: Bresee has quick powerful hands that are effective when placed favorably on his opponent.
Quickness: For a defensive tackle, his hands are very quick. He just needs to focus that quickness.
Line Control | Strength | 6.5 |
Balance | 9 |
Strength: He can dominate the line on passing downs. This only has dropped due to his lesser ability in the run game. He lacks the lower body strength of a typical first round IDL prospect.
Balance: He has great balance at the line. Bresee also knows how to use lean to generate more effective power by adding additional bodyweight and not losing his balance in the process.
Pass-Rush Decisions | Versatility | 8.5 |
Technique | 6 | |
Execution | 6.5 |
Versatility: His versatility stems from starting anywhere from nose to 5-tech. He is more effective inside, but has positive reps when lining up farther out as well. He has a good occasional swim, rip, and bull rush, but these could all still improve as well. His swim move is typically quite effective, and he should consider using it more.
Technique: These moves are typically effective, but they can be moreso. Quicker decision-making and better hand placement could make Bresee unstoppable penetrating up the middle.
Execution: Bresee is frequently successful when rushing the passer despite his lower overall production. With his tools, this grade has room for significant improvement.
Traits | Agility | 8.5 |
Athleticism | 9 | |
Length | 4 |
Agility: The quickness of his spin moves and his ability to run around lineman is highly impressive.
Athleticism: Clearly a great athlete at the position. His movement skills are unbelievable for his size. Poor closing speed limits this grade to a 9/10.
Full Report:
Bresee is awfully fun to watch on passing downs. His aggression combined with great hand strength and surprising agility allow him to frequently permeate the pocket. His swim move, rip, and bull rush have all been effective at times, although he is not as consistent as he could be with his pass rush moves. His has a great build for a 3-tech with incredible athleticism for his size, and is relatively quick off the line. He was the number one overall recruit in the nation in 2020, and while he has not quite lived up to expectations, he is still widely considered to be a day one prospect. Unfortunately, Bresee is still a work in progress. His hand placement is inconsistent when rushing the passer, he has poor closing speed, and is not a good tackler. He also tends to pop up too early, mitigating himself on many bullrushes. That said, he still manages to penetrate the pocket on a surprising number of plays with questionable technique. He is also rather poor in the run game, his snap percentage is low for a prospect of his caliber, and his production is certainly not what it should be. Regardless, Bresee is a great athlete at his position with great potential in the NFL, but is certainly not the blue chip, 'can't miss' prospect people believed he could be entering the season. He had underwhelming 2022 tape compared to what was expected of him, but has also been through a lot in his life over the last couple of years. Early in the 2021 season, Bresee tore his ACL. In 2022, his 15-year-old sister passed away from brain cancer. How is anyone supposed to focus and improve through such a tragedy? He then missed multiple games with a kidney infection in the middle of the 2022 season, and recently mentioned at the combine that he had strep and an upper respiratory infection during the season as well. Bresee, like teammates Murphy and Simpson, is still an athletic monster with incredibly raw talent. Add in the inability to really develop through his hardships, and he is still an all traits prospect who is not ready to make a day one impact on an NFL field. He has the build and athleticism to go inside the top ten, but he arguably does not have tape worthy of a first round pick. His final grade of a mid-late first reflects his upside more than it does what he has shown up to this point.
NFL Projection:
He will likely be drafted in the first round. The outcomes of his performance vary tremendously with his development at the next level. The optimal situation for Bresee is going to any team where he can be a rotational player over his rookie season. As long as he ends up with a coach who understands his strengths and weaknesses and develops well in a penetration-based scheme, he should go on to have a reputable career.
Comments
Post a Comment