Pats Pulpit
Previewing the Patriots edge heading into his first NFL season.
Coming off a 2024 season that saw their edge group struggle with consistency of both personnel and performance, the New England Patriots opted for a reset. As part of it, the team invested a Day 3 draft choice in an intriguing pass rush option.
Whether or not Bradyn Swinson will carve out a rotational role in the new-look room will be seen, but his potential cannot be denied. Let’s take a closer look at him.
Name: Bradyn Swinson
Position: Defensive edge/Outside linebacker
Jersey number: 43
Opening day age: 23 (7/4/2002)
Measurements: 6’3 1/2”, 255 lbs, 81 1/4” wingspan, 33 3/8” arm length, 9 7/8” hand size, 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. He instead opted to join to Oregon, where he appeared in 30 games with one start over three seasons.
During his 2022 junior campaign, Swinson started looking for other opportunities and entered the transfer portal. 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 April 2025.
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 and was in fact quite streaky during his 2024 season. His eye discipline and spatial awareness have been uneven as have been his...
