With the 29th pick overall, which was acquired from the Denver Broncos in a pre-draft trade, through the Miami Dolphins for a choice that originally belonged to the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans selected Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (pronounced bruh-ZEE).
· This was the 58th first round pick taken by the Saints all-time.
·This is the third time New Orleans has picked from the 29th overall slot. In 1973, the Saints selected Oklahoma defensive lineman Derland Moore, who would play for New Orleans for 13 seasons and is a member of the Saints Hall of Fame and the All-50th team. In 1981, they selected Nebraska safety Russell Gary. Both 29th picks took place in the second round.
· Bresee, 6 feet 5, 305 pounds, was the first defensive tackle taken in the first round of the NFL Draft by New Orleans since Sheldon Rankins was selected in 2016, only the fourth at the position taken in the first round by the club all-time. He is the 35th defensive tackle selected by the club all-time.
· Bresee is the fifth Clemson player picked in the NFL draft by New Orleans, the second former Tiger picked in the first round by the Black and Gold, joining linebacker Stephone Anthony (31st overall in 2015).
· Bresee is the only player from Clemson currently on the Saints roster. He is the first Saint taken in the first round out of an Atlantic Coast Conference school since Rankins in 2016.
· In three seasons at Clemson, Bresee finished with 64 career tackles (15.0 for loss), 9.0 sacks, four passes defensed, an interception, a forced fumble and a safety in 26 games with 21 starts.
· In 2022, Bresee was a was a second-team All-ACC selection and a Lott IMPACT Trophy quarterfinalist, as he was credited with 16 tackles (5.5 for loss), 2.5 sacks and two passes defensed over ten games with seven starts.
· Despite being limited to four contests with injuries in 2021, Bresee was still a third-team All-ACC selection, credited with 15 tackles (3.0 for loss), 1.5 sacks and an interception over 154 snaps, opening every contest he played. In a win over Georgia Tech, the Damascus, Md. native recorded two tackles for loss, a career-high 1.5 sacks and his first career interception, sealing the game by hauling in a desperation forward lateral attempt on the Yellow Jackets' final play.
· As a freshman in 2020, Bresee, was the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, received an Associated Press first-team All-ACC selection and consensus freshman All-American, as he was credited with 33 tackles (6.5 for loss), 4.0 sacks, two passes defensed, a forced fumble and a safety over 12 games with 10 starts. His takedown total was tied for the third-most sacks by a Clemson freshman all-time and the most in the nation by a freshman interior lineman.
· Bresee prepped at Damascus (Md.) High School, where he concluded his career with 134 tackles, including 80.5 for loss, with 35 sacks. He was a consensus first-team High School All-American in 2019, when he had 47 tackles, including 30.5 stops for loss with 14 sacks, while also adding two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a pass defense in helping his team to a 13-2 record and state championship as a senior. Highly recruited, he picked Clemson after being listed as the No. 1 overall player in the nation by 247Sports and Rivals.com.
· The NFL Draft resumes with the second and third rounds on Friday at 6 p.m. CT. New Orleans holds picks in the second (40th overall) and third (71st overall) rounds.
Check out photos of New Orleans Saints 2023 NFL Draft first round selection Bryan Bresee, defensive tackle out of Clemson who was selected with the 29th pick.
A graphic featuring Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee is displayed during the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 27, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Aaron Doster/NFL)
FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2021, file photo, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields is sacked by Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee during the second half of the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game in New Orleans. Bresee was selected to The Associated Press Preseason All-America first team defense, Monday Aug. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (11) warms up before an NCAA college football game against Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (11) warms up before an NCAA college football game against Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (11) runs onto the field before an NCAA college football game against Syracuse on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee looks on before an NCAA college football game against North Carolina State Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Clemson's Bryan Bresee (11) rushes during the first half of an NCAA football game against Georgia Tech on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis (13) narrowly escapes the grasp of Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (11) near the goal line during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, in Tallahassee, Fla. Clemson won 34-28. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)
Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (11) runs onto the field at the start of an NCAA college football game against Syracuse on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Clemson Tigers defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (11) looks on during warm ups before an NCAA college football game against the Furman Paladins in Clemson, S.C., Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (11) plays against North Carolina during the Atlantic Coast Conference championship NCAA college football game on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Domata Peko, left, and Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee on the sideline at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee warms up during the 2023 Scouting Combine on Thursday, March 2, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee runs the 40-yard dash during the 2023 Scouting Combine on Thursday, March 2, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee runs the 40-yard dash during the 2023 Scouting Combine on Thursday, March 2, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Former Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee warms up on the bench press during Clemson's pro day Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Former Clemson football defensive tackle Bryan Bresee runs a drill during Clemson's pro day Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee speaks during a press conference on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Former Clemson football defensive tackle Bryan Bresee runs a drill during Clemson's pro day Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee looks on during the 2023 Scouting Combine on Thursday, March 2, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee looks on during the 2023 Scouting Combine on Thursday, March 2, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
