Nick O'Malley from MassLive.com has cited The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner's article in which cites Patriots' fifth-round draft pick, edge Bradyn Swinson (and defensive tackle Joshua Farmer) as potential steals in the 2025 NFL draft.
O'Malley believes coaching is crucial to whether Swinson and Farmer ultimately succeed or not. Here, we'll discuss Swinson, an edge player who had a solid season for LSU in 2024 and fills a position of need for the Patriots as a pass rusher.
The Patriots sorely need an upgrade in their pass-rushing department. In 2024, they recorded a paltry 28 sacks for the entire season. After trading their top two edges, Matt Judon and Joshua Uche, that shouldn't have been a shock. Swinson has been drafted to help out. Let's explore how that may happen.
Bradyn Swinson has pass rush ability if the coaching staff can harness it
Swinson had an excellent season for the LSU Tigers in 2024. He notched 8.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, three passes defended, and 58 total stops. It was a breakout season for the 6'5", 269-pound edge player. He's exactly what the Patriots needed.
O'Malley, however, has put a caveat on Swinson's likely contributions, stating that the coaching staff will be the crucial part of his reaching his full potential.
"The New England Patriots’ rookie class could feature some of this year’s biggest draft-day steals, one analyst believes.
But whether that comes to pass will ultimately come down to whether Mike Vrabel and the Patriots coaching staff can get the most out of some talented players with some question marks."
Meanwhile, Baumgardner was exceptionally high on Swinson, an LSU product who was projected to go much earlier in the draft.
"However, it will be up to this new coaching staff under Vrabel to try and get Swinson to live up to his potential."
All that boils down to one fact: Swinson has the size and innate athletic ability to be an NFL contributor, but it will be up to Mike Vrabel and his defensive staff to make that a reality. Hopefully, Defensive Coordinator Terrell Williams will be back soon to guide Swinson's development. Meanwhile, Vrabel has to manufacture sacks, so the Head Coach should also be involved from the get-go.
How Bradyn Swinson fits into the Patriots' edge situation
The Patriots loaded up on edge players in free agency. They added successful NFL sackman, Harold Landry III, promising young veteran, K'Lavon Chaisson, and they already had the very underrated Christian Elliss, who can swing from the edge to the inside on the second level. Anfernee Jennings is another on the roster who's done little since being drafted in the third round in 2020.
Swinson has a golden opportunity to make the team and earn solid playing time if he performs. That means the young player has to listen and learn. He needs to absorb everything Vrabel and his defensive coaches have to say, and utilize his great size to get to the quarterback.
Expectations for Swinson are high in some circles for good reason. He shone, like his former LSU and now Patriots teammate, Will Campbell, in the toughest conference there is, the SEC. It's a great proving ground for prospective NFL players.
But like all rookies, it's better to be seen and listening, rather than popping off about how much they'll accomplish in the NFL. They have no idea, and to a great extent, no one else does either. Yet, with solid coaching and a talented, receptive young player, things can work out just fine. Let's see if Swinson is one of the young players who "gets it".