The New Orleans Saints won't be saying goodbye to a recent first round pick for at least one more season.
Bryan Bresee's 5th year option has been exercised by the Saints, meaning he'll be with New Orleans through at least the 2027 season. The move has not yet been officially announced, with teams having until May 1 to make an official decision.
Bresee was the No. 30 overall selection of the Saints in 2023 out of Clemson, providing a much-needed boost in an interior defensive line group that could still see additions ahead of the 2026 season. The 5th-year contract for Bresee is projected to be north of $13.9 million, a steep raise from his rookie deal but on the lower-end of the scale for what option seasons could cost. Bresee qualifies for the "basic" option total, which is the lowest of four rungs for all first-round draft selections and guarantees a contract equal to the average of the 3rd to 25th highest salaries at his position over the past five seasons.
Players who accrue either a 75% snap share in two of their first three seasons or 50% over all three seasons are eligible for a higher total, as are players who were named to Pro Bowls.
The move marks the second consecutive season the Saints have exercised a 5th-year option, with WR Chris Olave heading into the 2026 season on such a contract. The team will most likely continue to work toward a contract extension with Olave prior to him playing on that option deal. The Saints opted not to exercise the option on other recent first rounders, including OT Trevor Penning, DE Payton Turner and OG Cesar Ruiz.
Bresee now enters his fourth NFL season with added financial security and room for growth. He's already shed many of the durability questions that Bresee carried entering the NFL while appearing in 49 of 51 possible games. He's rolled up 14.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss 86 total tackles over three seasons, with his 7.5 sacks leading the team in 2024. Bresee saw his sack total decrease in 2025, but he emerged as a more well-rounded player and made a bigger impact on run downs. He also saw his snap total increase from an average of 41 per game in 2024, to 44 per game in 2025. He'll factor in heavily to the current group that also includes veterans Davon Godchaux, Nathan Shepherd and John Ridgeway, as well as a third round pick from last year in Vernon Broughton who only appeared in one game before suffering a season-ending injury.
The Saints could also opt to use one or more of their eight NFL draft selections on the interior defensive line, though there are no interior defensive linemen projected as top 10 picks on most draft projections. WWL's Mike Detillier has Ohio State's Kayden McDonald and Clemson's Peter Woods as his top two DT prospects, but he has both as second round picks, making the No. 42 overall selection a possible option to add depth at that position.
