Will Chicago Bears consider drafting Clemson DL Bryan Bresee in round one?

Now that the Chicago Bears have traded down, they have opened the door to a lot more options in the first round. One name that has gotten fringe top-ten pick consideration is Bryan Bresee. Could he be on the Bears' radar, or would they have to trade down?

Chicago Bears draft profile: Clemson DL Bryan Bresee

Bryan Bresse was one of the higher-regarded prospects in the country when he came out of highschool. It was a big deal when he chose Clemson. Bresee also got onto the field immediately as a true freshman.

He had an impressive 26 pressures, and everyone saw him destined for the NFL. After 10 pressures in four games during his sophomore campaign he tore his ACL and missed the entire season. He came back in 2022, but had multiple personal issues that caused him to miss games such as the funeral of his sister, and a kidney infection. At the end of the season, Bryan Bresee had shoulder surgery.

Bryan Bresee worked out at the NFL combine, and you can see that he did answer some questions about his health, and athletic upside.

That is an elite 40-yard dash, for anyone who thought that the ACL may have had a long-term impact. So, now he is still just 21 years old and appears to be healthy for the first time since 2020. Is the best yet to come?

How Bryan Bresee projects to the NFL?

It is notable that Bresee has 583 career snaps as a three-technique, 190 as a 1-technique, 69 snaps as a 5-technique, and 68 snaps out on the edge. One of the perks of his longer, and leaner frame is that he could move up and down the defensive line.

Bresee wins with violent hands, and had an initial burst that could penetrate from the interior and shock defenders. However, you saw less of that this past year. He still showed a strong ability to hold his own as a run defender, but the initial burst was not there. You also saw a lack of an ability to get off of blocks and get lateral in the run game.

The question with Bresee will be his ceiling. He has the athletic traits and athletic upside to show more as a pass rusher, but his game was limited the past two seasons.

NFL Comparison for Bryan Bresee

The best NFL comparison for Bryan Bresee would be Leonard Williams. You can see how they compare phsyically and athletically.

Bryan Bresee and Leonard Williams are also similar players in that they were high end prospects who did not quite live up to that statusi in college. It did not stop Leonard Williams from going top ten, though. Beyond that, we saw that there has to be patience with Williams.

He did not explode immediately, but he came into the NFL as a younger player, and by his fifth season he had broken out. That is a reasonable expectation for Bresee as well. Beyond that, Williams moves up and down the defensive line, and the hope is that Bryan Bresee can do the same.

Should Chicago Bears draft Bryan Bresee?

The high end upside of an impact player such as Leonard Williams is definitely in his profile. However, as noted it took some ups and downs and injuries, and that may be the same case for Bryan Bresee. The question for the Chicago Bears will be whether he is worthy of a top ten pick.

He is definitely worthy of a first round pick, but feels like a player worthy of pick 20-32, more than a top ten pick because of the questions, and risk that comes from drafting him. If the Chicago Bears trade back again, he fills a need, which is every spot on the defensive line.