New England Patriots fans have been patiently anticipating rookie pass rusher Bradyn Swinson's NFL debut since he was drafted with 146th overall pick in April. He started the season on the practice squad rather than the 53-man roster, which wasn't surprising given that he was drafted as a project, leaving time to tell when the Patriots would deem him ready enough to play.
It turns out Swinson's debut could happen as early as this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. On Friday, per ESPN's Mike Reiss, head coach Mike Vrabel revealed that the Patriots will be without linebacker Anfernee Jennings (ankle) and pass rusher Keion White (elbow) in Week 6, potentially opening the door for Swinson to be activated from the practice squad.
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With a hole at linebacker and on the outside of the defensive line, there has never been a better time for the Patriots to debut Swinson than now.
The 6-foot-4, 255-pound disruptor was a proven noise-maker during his time with LSU, racking up 10.5 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles in 24 outings. He also finished with a career-high 90.3 Pro Football Focus pass rush grade in his final campaign with the Tigers after amassing 43 quarterback hurries, nine sacks, and eight QB hits.
Swinson's issues regarding zone reads and consistency played a key role in his starting the year on the practice squad, but he's since had over a month to work on those issues with Vrabel's staff. And from the sound of things, the rookie EDGE's improvements are noticeable to the point where the Patriots' HC can't help but sing his praises.
"(Swinson is) trimming up. He's working, man. These last 3 weeks, I told him how proud I was of him," Vrabel said on Thursday evening, via Reiss. "He's had a really good 3 weeks. He's really starting to grow up and blossom into a good football player."
The Patriots' defense has played well this season, but the pass rush has been a weak spot, with a grade of 64.9 on PFF (21st). That isn't to say that playing Swinson would immediately turn the unit into a top-10 force, but it's a risk worth trying if his on-paper potential translates to any on-field improvements.
With Sunday's clash with the Panthers getting closer by the second, it won't be long before Patriots fans will know if Swinson will finally make his NFL debut this weekend.