New England Patriots select Bradyn Swinson in 5th round of 2025 NFL Draft

The New England Patriots have selected LSU defensive end Bradyn Swinson in the 5th round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He was taken with the No. 146 overall pick in the draft.

Swinson, 22, transferred to LSU from Oregon ahead of the 2023 season. He became one of the best pass rushers in the sport this past season, recording 8.5 sacks, to go along with 58 combined tackles, 13 for loss.

Swinson wrapped up his collegiate career with 13.5 sacks, 128 combined tackles, 26 for loss. He earned Second Team All-SEC honors in 2024.

As a recruit, Swinson was ranked as a three-star prospect and the No. 488 overall recruit in the 2020 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Swinson checked in as the No. 33 edge in the class and No. 53 overall player from the state of Georgia, hailing from Chapel Hill High School (Douglasville, Ga).

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Bradyn Swinson

Swinson is one of two LSU pass rushers coming off the board this year, the other being Sai’vion Jones. NFL Network‘s Lance Zierlein wrote the following in evaluating Swinson:

“Late bloomer with big hands, long arms and a frame to carry more muscle,” Zierlein wrote. “Swinson is competitive at the point of attack, where he uses his length and footwork to beat the block or prevent block sustains. He is high-cut and leggy with average lateral agility but has an innate feel for playing off the block and making tackles.

“Swinson is less of an arc runner and more of a read-and-respond rusher relying on length and deception to open doors on either edge. He needs to craft rush strategies and work on getting quicker wins with go-to moves at the edge, but he’s always in the backfield. Swinson is an ascending talent with the demeanor, traits and talent to become a good starter as a 3-4 rush linebacker.”