It's very well known around Saints nation that the New Orleans Saints are awful at stopping the run, with Bryan Bresee playing a big role in it. If Bresee can't continue his hot streak as a pass rusher, that drop off will be felt on the defense heavily.
Bresee is coming off of a season in where he led the Saints with 7.5 sacks in 2024. His role will change in 2025, as the Saints will convert to a 3-4 defensive scheme, assigning him different responsibilities. This change could result in the worst case scenario for the Saints interior defensive line.
The defensive shift will require Bresee to transfer from defensive tackle to defensive end. His responsibilities will be different and may result in Bresee taking a step back as a pass rusher.
The shift to defensive end could possibly affect Bryan Bresee's biggest strength
Bresee has displayed strong pass rushing abilities as a 4-3 defensive tackle. He's explosive, has a high motor, and is very quick for his size. Bresee finished the 2024 season with a moderate 57.2 PFF grade against the run.
The limitations Bresee has shown as a run defender makes it hard to sell him playing in base defenses. Bresee will continue to see the field in sub packages, but his struggles in run defense will remain costly. A switch to 3-4 only shines a greater light on those deficiencies.
A dip in Bresee's sack total, due to scheme change or other reasons, hurts him and the defense as a whole. He's a pass rush specialist, so a dip in his speciality will limit the impact he can make on the defense. Most notably, he was the leader in sacks. This defense will be more dependent on pass rush on the perimeter but a drop off from your top pass rusher will still be felt.
Bresee had a dreadful 36.5 overall PFF grade, ranking 203rd out of 219 eligible defensive lineman. You take away his pass rush ability then he becomes a liability. His defense against the run continued to get exposed by teams as he finished with a dismal 28.0 grade which ranked second to last in the league,
Bresee's poor contributions against the run played a major part in the Saints finishing 30th against the run in 2024. It's feared that his struggles against the run continue as he has not been able to improve in that department since entering the league.