Todd McShay offers take on which Clemson defensive lineman will be drafted first

As the NFL draft draws closer and closer, ESPN’s Todd McShay tries to make sense of what’s going on in draft rooms across the country. In his recent mock draft, version 2.0, the draft guru sees the Philadelphia Eagles going in a different route than running back Bijan Robinson and taking a defensive lineman from Clemson.

Which Clemson star will be off to Philly was tricky for McShay to decide, given the talent off of the defensive line from the Tigers in this draft. Still, he offered up his take on which Clemson defensive lineman will be the first off the board and selected by the Eagles.

“Bryan Bresee, to me, he’s the more talented player than Myles Murphy. But he’s kind of up and down and went through a lot this past season, including losing his sister and injuries. It’s a classic pick,” said McShay.

“And listen, (in the) last mock draft, I had Bijan Robinson going there, and I know that’s a sticking point. But I just think Howie Roseman with his history, offense, and defensive lineman, and so I had Bresee going number 10. And then, I had Anton Harrison right, going number 30. So offense defensive lineman; that’s how they built this organization. That’s the foundation of what they’ve done. So it makes a lot of sense.”

This season, there was a bit of a drop-off in Bresee’s production. But given the handful of injuries and the untimely passing of his younger sister, it is understandable why there was a bit of a dip. Still, Bresee was able to finish the season with 15 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and two passes defended in a total of 10 games.

McShay predicts Dallas Cowboys first-round draft pick in latest mockup

The Dallas Cowboys have numerous priorities to address in the 2023 NFL Draft. Luckily, they have picks in nearly every round.

In his latest first-round mock draft, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay has the Cowboys playing it on the safe side and once again drafting a top offensive lineman. Just like McShay’s fellow ESPN analyst Matt Miller, McShay has Dallas going for former Florida Gators star O’Cyrus Torrence at No. 26 overall in the first round.

“Torrence has allowed just two sacks over 47 career starts and more than 1,400 pass-block snaps,” McShay writes. “With Connor McGovern‘s contract expiring, there is a hole on Dallas’ offensive line, and Torrence is a brick wall against power rushers. He looked great at the Senior Bowl two weeks ago, too.

“The Cowboys’ pick might come down to how the board plays out, though. They might be enticed by Bijan Robinson if he’s available, given Tony Pollard is a free agent and Ezekiel Elliott could be a cap casualty. And the WR2 spot behind CeeDee Lamb needs consideration, because Michael Gallup didn’t make much of an impact last season. Depth at cornerback and edge rush shouldn’t be ignored, either. I’m intrigued by how Dallas approaches these next few months and how the board sets up for this pick in April.”