Scouting Profile: Bradyn Swinson - EDGE - LSU
Sales Pitch: Explosive twitchy edge rusher w/ long arms. Late bloomer with an incomplete rush plan but has the tools to be a plus rush backer.
*Gold Numbers Indicate NCAA T-25 for 2024*
Scouting Report
Bradyn Swinson is former 3-Star recruit from the state of Georgia. He spent his first three years at Oregon as a rotational rusher, before transferring to LSU in 2023. Swinson had a breakout year in 2024 as a 5th year senior, with 60 pressures and 9 sacks on his way to All-SEC honors.
Swinson is a twitchy explosive rusher with excellent length and power relative to his frame. 2024 was his first year as a full time starter, but impressive underlying rush numbers - 5 straight years with a 15%+ win rate - indicated the ability was always there. Swinson primarily wins as an outside speed rusher. He has a wicked first step to quickly threaten upfield and his stop-start ability allows him to freeze lineman in space and work around either shoulder. Swinson likes to line up in a 2-pt stance, preferably as a Wide-9 where he can use his runway to build up his speed and covert it to power. His long arms and heavy hands often get first contact and reset the pocket before getting into his initial move. Swinson plays with excellent energy and aggression, which made him a difficult player to keep out of the backfield in 2024. Despite a smaller frame for an edge, he doesn’t shy away from contact. He is quick to bring the fight to pulling guards and tight ends trying to set the edge. Swinson’s burst allows him to win as a penetrator, and his long active hands are quick to strike and shed run blockers before knifing inside to make the tackle.
Swinson is a bit of a late bloomer as a 5th year senior, and lacks polish typically seen from other players of his age. His pass rush plan lacks cohesion and he struggles to sync up his feet and hands. If his initial rush fails, his hands begin to lag and there are often reps where he is left chattering his feet with little actual purpose. His high hipped frame creates some balance and change of direction issues, which limit his ability to get quickly into his counters as a rusher. Swinson lacks the frame to fully rely on his physical tools to win. He projects more as a 3-4 rush backer and lacks the size to reduce down inside especially as a run defender. When faced with more traditional double teams or down blocks in the run game he can get washed down out of the play.
Swinson profiles as a 3-4 rush backer who wins with speed and length. A late bloomer with a frame to add more weight he could certainly play the weak side end in even fronts if asked. Swinson’s blend of power and speed with a ceiling to grow into make him an intriguing Day-2 option for teams looking to improve their pass rush rotation.