When Mike Vrabel took over as the new head coach of the Patriots, the framework of his blueprint was to focus on improving the defense by adding veteran players with whom he already has previous connections and knows will be a good fit on his new-and-improving team.
The most important thing Vrabel emphasized wanting to do this offseason was to protect quarterback Drake Maye in his second season in the NFL. Vrabel's logic is that a good veteran defense can make a quarterback’s job much easier, which he experienced as a player when Tom Brady was a young and raw quarterback, winning Super Bowls behind a solid veteran defense.
In doing so, Vrabel added his former linebackers Harold Landry, Robert Spillane, and Jack Gibbens, the top defensive tackle available in Milton Williams, and a solid big body with Khryis Tonga. He also added veteran cornerback Carlton Davis to really improve every level of the defense.
The Patriots also emphasized defense in the NFL Draft, starting in the fourth round by selecting safety Craig Woodson, a player that New England thinks highly of and has high expectations for.
In the fifth round, the Patriots landed arguably the top edge rusher in the country last season in Bradyn Swinson out of LSU.
Swinson (6’3”, 255 lbs) is an intelligent, big-time, powerful pass rusher who has speed and strength coming off the edge. He didn’t run the 40-yard dash, but he finished the 20-yard shuttle in 4.33 seconds, which is the second-best in his position group.
In 2024, Swinson led LSU with 58 tackles (13 for a loss), 8.5 sacks, three passes defended, and forced two fumbles in 13 games. He proved to be the most productive quarterback disruptor in the country during his two years at LSU.
Swinson recorded 59 pass rush pressures last season, which was the highest in the country at a 19 percent pressure rate, with a win rate of over 20 percent, which ranked in the top 15 for all edge rushers in the power conferences.
The film shows a powerful defender who looks like he can be an outside linebacker despite not having too much experience in pass coverage. He’s a fast learning athlete who rarely loses his matchups more than once in a game. He has the recognition and intelligence to adjust on the fly and make quick decisions that result in a big impact.
Also on the film, I noticed that he reads and reacts at a great speed, which gets him in the backfield to stop the run. Swinson has only been looked at as a pass rusher throughout the draft process, but he’s also a great run stopper as well in the second level.
At the line of scrimmage, Swinson’s first step is full of power. He initiates first contact with an explosive push, bench pressing the offensive lineman off of him, and from there, he’s able to create a problem in the backfield.
Swinson gets in the backfield with ease. He’s able to contort and twist his body to get in between the B and C gaps by using his outside arm to break off leverage for himself. It's a technique that proved to be successful for him over the last two years at LSU.
Swinson is a tough football player. He fits the bill for what Vrabel said he’s looking for when he made his comments on character prior to the Draft on what the team needs:
“The talent of the player has to be evaluated first and then you go through a ton of different exercises and conversations to try to figure out the type of person. But you can’t win… you can’t do what we want to do with just a bunch of good dudes, that’s not going to get it done.”
I’m not saying that Swinson isn’t a “good dude”, I’m just saying that he fits the type of player that Vrabel is looking for: physical, aggressive, tough.
Taking a look at the production, Swinson (No. 146) had better stats in his career than some of the top players that were drafted ahead of him, including having more tackles than Abdul Carter (No.3), and he had more tackles and sacks than Mykel Williams (No.11), and Shemar Stewart (No.17).
In an interview with the local media after being drafted, Swinson said that he doesn’t care what number pick he was selected at and that the Patriots got a “steal” in the Draft. He’s just looking forward to getting to New England and getting straight to work:
"Just to even be picked to an organization like this is just amazing to me. I cried real tears when I got there and it’s just a surreal moment. ... I don’t care what pick it was, I got picked up and I’m just excited to be here and work. [I’m] a player that is going to do whatever the team needs, you’re getting a dawg though, you’re getting a dawg, that’s off rip. You got a steal. But honestly just a guy that is going to work hard everyday and going to handle his 111 and looking to help change the culture there and just add to the winning that’s going on. But you’re getting a dawg, for sure."
When I watch Swinson, a player comparison that comes to mind is former Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins. Although Collins was extremely versatile as a linebacker, I see similar qualities in Swinson that still need to develop. He hasn’t done much work in pass coverage, but I see him playing as an outside linebacker in addition to coming off the edge, with the proper development. The skills are there, anyway:
- Swinson: 6-foot-3, 255 lbs., 4.33-seconds 20-Yard Shuttle, 7.13-seconds 3 Cone Drill
- Collins: 6-foot-3, 250 lbs., 4.32-seconds 20-Yard Shuttle, 7.1-seconds 3 Cone Drill
Swinson joins Harold Landry, Keion White, Anfernee Jennings, and K’Lavon Chaisson in the outside linebackers room in New England.