Mel Kiper Jr. says Bryan Bresee is 'firmly' a first-round pick after NFL Combine

One player who improved their NFL Draft stock with a strong performance at the NFL Combine was Clemson Tigers defensive lineman Bryan Bresee.

As ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. explained, Bresee showed off in drills and made himself a clear first round pick.

“Bresee had a great workout Thursday, dispelling any questions about his physical tools,” Kiper said. “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.”

As Mel Kiper explained, everyone always knew that Bryan Bresee was incredibly talented. The problem is that he missed a lot of playing time due to injuries and his younger sister’s death.

“Bresee looked like a future top-five pick as a freshman in 2020, but he tore his left ACL and played four games in 2021. Last season, he dealt with the death of his sister and a kidney infection. He played 320 snaps and had 3.5 sacks and 18 total tackles. Bresee could be a 3-technique tackle in the NFL, and he has some juice as a pass-rusher.”

Thanks to his Combine performance, NFL teams are going to be more willing to overlook missing time and make him a first round pick.

“This workout puts him firmly in the Round 1 discussion for teams that need help inside.”

Bryan Bresee was happy to be healthy at the NFL Combine

At the NFL Combine, Bryan Bresee spoke about how happy he was to be healthy and ready to go for the event.

“Yeah, that was the main goal today. Come out here and show people what a healthy Bryan Bresee looks like. A lot of illnesses this year, so I was just happy I was able to come out here and compete … I had a kidney infection early on, upper respiratory infections, strep throat later in the season. Sick this year,” Bresee said.

“Just, you know, real sick … Obviously it was a tough year but you know, I’m healthy now. I wanted everyone to see that.”