Saints player profile 2018: DT Jay Bromley

From zero scholarship offers to a third round selection, Jay Bromley looks to help an already-impressive front-four for the Saints. 

It was very unfortunate to see Nick Fairley’s NFL career end so suddenly last offseason. He had a career high mark in sacks the season before (6.5), and became an important part for the Saints’ defensive line. His upside, being paired with rising first round pick Sheldon Rankins, was poised to help New Orleans reach the next level on defense. 

Unfortunately, a heart condition forced Fairley into retirement. The defensive interior for the Saints was put back to square one as Rankins’ progress had yet to be fully shown. Luckily for the Saints, the combination of an underrated supporting cast inside, and Pro Bowler Cam Jordan on the outside, New Orleans’ defensive line made great strides last year. 

Joining that corps this season is Jay Bromley. The 26-year old stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 314-pounds. The massive DT signed a one-year deal with the Saints a couple of months ago after spending four seasons with the New York Giants. Bromley was drafted by the Giants in the third round (74th overall) in 2014.

He played college ball at Syracuse but he wasn’t originally part of the Orangemen after graduating college. In fact, Bromley didn’t have any scholarships for football and had to walk-on at Stony Brook University in Long Island, New York. He didn’t play a down for them, however, as his fortunes turned late in his senior year of high school. 

After earning MVP honors at an Outback Steakhouse Empire Challenge, Bromley promptly got a scholarship offer from Syracuse. There, he played four years helping the Orangemen make three bowl games. He had a fairly impressive draft combine performance: 5.06 40-yard dash, 33.5-inch vertical jump, 26 bench reps and a 106.0 broad jump. With the Giants, Bromley amassed 76 tackles and 2.0 sacks in 39 games. 

More from Who Dat Dish

• Are the Saints playoff contenders or pretenders in 2022?
• 3 takeaways from Saints unofficial depth chart ahead of preseason opener
• Saints 2022 Training Camp: Top 5 takeaways from Day 13
• 3 things to know about new Saints QB K.J. Costello
• Kirk Merritt could be a difficult player for the Saints to cut

Bromley in 2018

Bromley is joining an up-and-coming group of defensive tackles. At the forefront is Rankins, Tyeler Davison and David Onyemata. Bromley is older than all three and has more experience overall even when compared to the rest of the group. This includes Woodrow Hamilton, Henry Mondeaux (R), Lawrence Devaroe and Taylor Stallworth (R). 

Of corse, not every name there will be on the final roster. For Bromley, he has the upper hand when it comes to experience and size. He’s one of the tallest of the bunch and weighs the most as well. His grind to finally earn a scholarship and play well enough in college to earn him a top-80 draft selection shows his dedication and work ethic.

Taken straight from his draft profile on NFL.com: “Best fits as a 4-3 defensive tackle, but could appeal to teams running a hybrid scheme given his potential to be used as a five-technique.” Perfect fit for the Saints. And Bromley is used to being a reserve. But he’s an absolute run-stuffer with his size and ability to fill gaps. He could quickly earn a starting rotation spot to help with run support on first and second downs and for third-and-short occasions.

Quick facts

Bromley was born in Jamaica, Queens, New York, and attended Queens Flushing High School. His unfortunate childhood left him in custody of his aunt and uncle when he was just four months old. He was named as an All-City first team tackle after his senior season. Bromley recorded a ridiculous 40 sacks during his high school career, including 12 his senior year alone. 

Next: Brees set to break Payton Manning's passing record

The Outback Steakhouse Empire Challenge is an annual “summer football extravaganza” which pits the best football players from Long Island against the best from New York City. It also raises money and awareness for certain charities. Bromley’s MVP performance landed him a scholarship with Syracuse. 

College statistics: 120 tackles, 13.0 sacks (9.0 during his senior season), three forced fumbles. He earned third-team All-ACC honors for his senior year play.