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The Baltimore Ravens had to say goodbye to one of their stalwart leaders and impactful starting defenders when they released six-time Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell on March 13, 2023, in order to get under the salary cap ahead of the new league year.
General Manager Eric DeCosta left the door open for a potential reunion but it was closed when the 15-year veteran signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons on March 29, 2023.
They have several established players that can fill his leadership void. However, replacing him in the depth chart and starting lineup will likely need to be addressed early in the 2023 NFL Draft given the lack of depth at starting caliber interior defensive linemen in this year’s class.
One of the top prospects at the position that NFL.com draft analyst Charles Davis believes is worth “pounding the table for” if he were in a draft room for a team is versatile defensive lineman Bryan Bresee of Clemson.
“I am rooting for this young man, who has faced a great deal of adversity in his career,” Davis wrote. “We know he is extremely talented, and I fully expect that talent to shine when he gets to the NFL, likely as a first-round pick.”
Bresee was the top-ranked recruit in the nation by USA Today and several other media outlets and as a true freshman, he earned first-team All-ACC honors after recording 23 total tackles including 6.5 for a loss, 4 sacks, 2 pass deflections, and a forced fumble according to Sports Reference.
He still managed to be a third-team all-conference selection despite being limited to four games after suffering a torn ACL. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of what would be an arduous finish to his promising college career.
Bresee tragically lost his younger sister, Ella, in September 2022 to brain cancer and then had to overcome a kidney infection later in the year. Through it all, he was still able to appear in 10 games last year and earned second-team All-ACC recognition after posting 15 total tackles including 5.5 for a loss, 3.5 sacks, and 2 pass deflections.
Given the trajectory that Bresee was on at the onset of his collegiate career before getting somewhat derailed by injury and tragedy, he could ultimately prove to be a steal as a late first or early second-round pick.
Last year, the Ravens wound up drafting two prospects that Davis said he would “pound the table for” with the selection of Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum in the first round at No. 25 overall and Iowa State tight end Charlie Kolar in the fourth round at No. 128 overall.
Moving Back Then Adding Bresee Makes Sense
To maximize value and accumulate more draft capital, the Ravens could target him in a trade-back scenario so they can still address corner or receiver fairly early by either recouping a second-round pick or getting another third.
They are always prime and among the most likely candidates to trade back in the first round and at No. 22 overall they are strategically positioned to receive interest from teams looking to potentially leapfrog the Minnesota Vikings and take Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker.
Despite coming off a torn ACL that cut his senior season short, the former Volunteer has seen his stock rise throughout the pre-draft process and is being widely projected to be a first-round pick.
Davis himself had Hooker landing with the Ravens in his latest mock draft since there is still long-term uncertainty with current starter Lamar Jackson.
“Eric DeCosta recently told us all that Baltimore could very well select a QB in this year’s draft,” he wrote. “I’m taking the general manager at his word, as the Ravens hedge their bets with the uncertainty surrounding Lamar Jackson. If the team does not go QB here, a big receiver like TCU’s Quentin Johnston would be a nice addition.”
Hooker has reportedly visited with several teams in the past few weeks including the New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders, the Green Bay Packers, and the Vikings where he has been most popularly projected to land in several mock drafts.
If the Lions bypass him with their second first-round pick at No. 18 overall, a team that really covets him could be willing to trade up for what they hope will be their next franchise quarterback.
The Saints have eight picks in this year’s draft and haven’t been afraid to be aggressive and pull the trigger to move up for a prospect they love. They currently hold No. 29 overall in the first round and if Ravens work out a trade to move back, the package could include getting No. 40 overall in the exchange.
Since they don’t have a second-round pick this year after sending it to the Chicago Bears in the midseason move to acquire star inside linebacker Roquan Smith, executing this trade could help land Bresee and potentially a third pick in the top 100 selections.
Former Tiger Possesses Game-Wrecking Potential
While it would’ve been nice if the Ravens could’ve found a way to bring back Campbell so he could mentor Bresee for a season would’ve been great, he can still develop into a difference-maker with his physical traits and other promising intangibles.
He ranks No. 37 on the top 50 prospects list of NFL Network lead draft analyst and former Ravens scout, Daniel Jeremiah, who believes Bresee has “ideal height and bulk for the position” at 6-foot-5 and 298 pounds and positional versatility given that “he moved up and down the line of scrimmage in Clemson’s scheme”.
“Against the pass, he generates pressures on slants and is an effective looper in pass-rush games. He has some shock in his hands, but stalls out too often once he’s engaged. He has some hip and ankle tightness,” Jeremiah wrote. “Against the run, he shows block awareness and utilizes his quick hands to keep blockers off his chest. He looked gassed at times this past season, which was likely the result of high snap counts while still recovering from injury. Overall, Bresee flashes on tape, but he needs to be more consistent.”
Filling the shoes of a future Hall of Famer and Walter Peyton Man of Year is a daunting task to ask of any well-vested veteran and especially for someone just entering the league. However, it needs to be done nonetheless, and with three members of their interior defensive line expected to make the roster only under contract through the 2023 season, they need to continue injecting more inexpensive young talent and Bresee would be an excellent fit.
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