There are 90 days until the first game of the New Orleans Saints season. We continue our countdown to kickoff with No. 90, defensive tackle Bryan Bresee.
Bresee, who was drafted in the first round out of Clemson in 2023, is entering his third season in the NFL. So far in his career, he has gathered 49 tackles, 12 sacks, and one forced fumble, but he'll have to pick up the pace if he wants to really make a mark on the team.
Bryan Bresee taking another jump would boost the Saints front line
Bresee took a huge leap in sack numbers in his sophomore season. He went from 4.5 sacks as a rookie to 7.5 sacks last year. That number was good enough to lead the team. Making that leap to being close to double digit sacks from the interior is impressive.
If there was one aspect of the game to see Bresee improve, it would in run defense. His sack total rose, but his tackles for a loss remained at seven. His game is primarily defined by his pass rush, but a bump in run defense would help make him an every down player.
If Bresee is able to hit the ground running and have a career year in 2025, it would go a long way for the defensive line, which has been one of the more mediocre areas on the Saints in recent years.
The defense ranked 20th in sacks in 2024 with 39 and 28th in 2023 with 34. They've also been allowing some of the most rushing yards over the past two years, allowing an average of 119.9 yards a game (11th most) in 2023 and 141.4 yards per game in 2024 (2nd most).
Bresee is doing his part in sacks, but being a better run defender would add a new component to his game. If he doesn't the Saints will have to build around Bresee with strong run defenders.
Bresee's motivation for playing football
Every time that Bresee steps onto the field, it is in honor of his late sister Ella, who died of brain cancer in September of 2022 at the age of 15. He has said in the past that she was practically his #1 fan.
"Ella was at every one of my football games," Bresee said in an interview with ESPN's Kat Terrell. "She just loved it. She loved everything about it, loved the atmosphere, and then, especially, she loved Clemson because of how good everyone was to her there. She loved coming to games, and she was the superstar around town."
