Pats Pulpit
One of the New England Patriots’ offseason goals this year was adding some speed to their defensive edge. However, when looking at their haul between free agency and the draft, the element remains missing. Or does it?
The Patriots, after all, do have a player on the roster who would fit that bill. Whether or not Bradyn Swinson can successfully fill that role is a different story, though.
Name: Bradyn Swinson
Position: Defensive edge/Outside linebacker
Jersey number: 43
Opening day age: 24 (7/4/2002)
Measurements: 6’3 1/2”, 255 lbs, 9 7/8” hand size, 33 3/8” arm length, 81 1/4” wingspan, 7.13s 3-cone drill, 4.33s short shuttle, N/A Relative Athletic Score
NFL: New England Patriots (2025-) | College: Oregon (2020-22), LSU (2023-24)
A multi-sport athlete growing up, who lettered both in football and track at Chapel Hill High School in Douglasville, GA, Swinson was a highly-regarded recruit coming out. A three-star prospect, he received over 40 scholarship offers from schools such as North Carolina, Boston College and Missouri. Instead of joining any of them, however, he opted for Oregon, where he appeared in 30 games with one start over three seasons.
During his junior campaign, Swinson started looking for other opportunities and entered the transfer portal in December 2022. He enrolled at LSU the following January and finished his college career with a two-year stint in Baton Rouge. During that time, he played in 25 more games with 13 starts and picked up one second-team All-SEC selection.
In between his time as a Duck and a Tiger, Swinson combined to notch 128 tackles, 13.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. He joined the NFL as a fifth-round draft pick by the Patriots in 2025, but appeared in only four games as a rookie without registering any defensive stats.
Strengths: Swinson is a classic speed rusher off the edge, who combines a moldable frame with some good burst and acceleration out of his stance. He uses leverage well to stress offensive tackles to their outside shoulder, and also has the requisite bend to get under them. In general, his lower-body flexibility and quickness in addition to his consistent attack speed allow him to cause balancing and positioning issues for his opposition.
Swinson offers a variety of pass rushing moves and plays with active hands. He has a good feel for placing his initial punch while also working with an active lower half as a bull rusher. Despite not being the most powerful of players overall, his motor is running hot whenever he is on the field. This, in turn, makes him a competitive player either at the attack point or in clean-up duty. It also allowed him to show steady improvement as an edge-setter in the run game.
Weaknesses: Swinson is an able pass rusher, but he is not the most refined overall player yet. His eye discipline and spatial awareness have been uneven as has been his use of counters. He also is not a...
