Bryan Bresee opens up on his NFL goal, when that dream became realistic

From an early age, former Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee made it his goal to make it to the NFL.

That dream is on the cusp of becoming a reality as Bresee is expected to hear his name called at the NFL draft either Thursday or Friday.

Mock drafts expect the former No. 1 overall recruit to be taken late in the first round Thursday night or early in the second round Friday night.

Bresee appeared on the “All Things Covered” podcast recently and spoke about when he realized that playing in the NFL was a real possibility.

“My mom popped up a video of me when I was in first or second grade for a school project saying I was going to play in the NFL,” Bresee recalled. “So it’s always been a goal of mine.”

Bryan Bresee was born into a football family as his father, Rich Bresee, played college football at James Madison.

Bryan Bresee started playing football at an early age and never slowed down, ultimately being ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2020 after recording 30.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks as a senior at Damascus High in Maryland.

“I started playing football when I was five years old. My dad played college football and got me into the sport early on,” Bresee said. “It was a goal of mine [to make the NFL] from right when I started playing.”

Bresee had an up-and-down career at Clemson that was hampered by injuries. He also dealt with the tragic death of his sister Ella Bresee during his junior season.

For his college career, Bresee finished with 64 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 9 sacks over 26 games. He considered returning to Clemson for his senior season but ultimately chose to go ahead and make the move to the NFL.

He is anxious for the draft to get underway and for his years of hard work to pay off.

“I think for me, personally, it doesn’t really become a reality until it really happens,” Bresee said. “So I’m obviously really looking forward to Thursday night and just excited to see what’s going to happen.” 

Mel Kiper Jr. believes Bryan Bresee a first round pick

While it remains to be seen where Bresee will ultimately be drafted, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. believes the former Clemson star should hear his name called Thursday night.

“Bresee had a great workout Thursday, dispelling any questions about his physical tools,” Kiper said after the NFL combine last month. “He moved well, running a 4.86-second 40-yard dash, which ranked fourth among the defensive tackles. At 298 pounds, he looked fresh and healthy.”

ESPN released an NFL Nation mock draft Tuesday night. It has Bresee going No. 28 overall to the Bengals.

“The Bengals started their defensive revamp by adding defensive tackle DJ Reader in 2020, a move that paved the way for a defense that has been crucial to back-to-back deep playoff runs,” ESPN’s Ben Baby wrote. “But with Reader on an expiring deal and the offense set to command a large chunk of the salary cap in future years, the Bengals have to find cost-effective ways to keep the defense strong. Bresee can be a rotational player in Cincinnati’s defense this season before moving into a starting role in 2024 and beyond.”