Along with his ability to pressure the quarterback, Peoples told me that Swinson is a highly intelligent football player who is capable of making adjustments on the fly. To Peoples, Swinson’s combination of pass rush skills and football IQ are why he’s headed to the NFL.

“He’s got pass-rush skills. He has the ability to get to the quarterback. That’s a trait that obviously people are looking for, but the biggest thing about him is he’s a very intelligent football player. He’s able to make in-game adjustments. I mean, he’s locked in. So, a combination of his ability to rush the quarterback and then his football intelligence and ability to be locked into a game with no situation being too big for him,” Peoples said. “Hopefully, that will transition into the NFL.”

While playing for a powerhouse in the top conference in college football, Swinson was also under the bright lights against SEC competition. The Pats rookie’s ability to rise to the occasion in big moments against top competition is another thing that stands out to Peoples.

“The thing that is impressive about him is that there’s no situation that we went into last year where it was too big for him. He’s very confident in himself. He’s a great competitor, and the bigger the stakes, the more you could feel the difference in his energy,” said Peoples.

The Patriots double-dipped on the Bayou Bengals by selecting Swinson and his college teammate Will Campbell in the first round. Since one is a left tackle and the other an edge rusher, Campbell and Swinson went head-to-head in practice plenty over the last two years. As one would expect, iron sharpened iron for the Tigers with two NFL-caliber talents going toe-to-toe.

“Will is obviously an outstanding player, and Bradyn is an outstanding player, too. They went against each other a lot. They both benefited from playing against each other. We felt like going against Will every single day made us better, and hopefully, Will feels the same way about going against some of our guys, specifically Bradyn,” Peoples said.

The Patriots hope that the LSU-to-NFL pipeline proves to be fruitful again, with Campbell providing blindside protection and Swinson disrupting opposing quarterbacks. Like they were in Baton Rouge, the rookie vs. rookie battles in training camp will be worth watching.

Pro Outlook with Eric Galko (Director of Football Operations and Player Personnel for the East-West Shrine Bowl)

After accepting his invitation last fall, Swinson dropped out of the East-West Shrine Bowl after the college football season. However, Galko and his staff went through the entire scouting process with Swinson circled as a player they wanted to invite to the college All-Star game.

For those unfamiliar with the game, the Shrine Bowl is a showcase for college players who have declared for the upcoming draft. All 32 teams had a contingent in Dallas this past January to evaluate players in a week’s worth of practices and the game itself. It allows teams to see prospects in NFL systems against future pros, so the Shrine Bowl has tremendous value. Patriots wideout DeMario Douglas was a Shrine Bowl standout in 2023.

As for Swinson, Galko described the Patriots rookie as a “high character” guy who will compete immediately for a role as a situational pass-rusher.

“Bradyn is a high-character guy. A guy the program speaks super highly of and is immensely talented as an edge rusher. Really blossomed this year and had a breakout year. I think the best football is still ahead of him,” Galko told Patriots.com. “The people in that program speak highly of how Bradyn has grown, how mature he is, and how prepared he is. A quieter, more introverted guy to start with who has a great chance to be a good leader and part of a rotation in the NFL.

“Certainly better as a rotational pass-rush specialist to start. He really showed this year that he can get around the edge and go through guys but also finish on the quarterback. He was a great pick where they got him, and I wish we had him at the Shrine Bowl. He’s a heck of a player and a great person, but he’ll no doubt have a chance to be a part of the rotation [in New England].”