If we had to sum up Bradyn Swinson’s rookie season with one word, it probably would be “quiet.”
The fifth-round draft pick out of LSU started out on the practice squad, and after his promotion to the active roster appeared in only four games with 27 defensive snaps and one quarterback hurry. He also saw some action on special teams, playing 31 snaps and picking up a tackle. Not bad, but certainly not groundbreaking production either.
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Heading into his second season, however, Swinson aims to turn the volume up. And to do so, he wants to come screaming into the backfield not just from the edge but all over the New England Patriots’ defensive line.
He already started doing so in training camp, lining up on the inside more often than previously. For the 24-year-old, that is actually nothing new.
“I’ve been playing 3-tech,” he told reporters after Thursday’s practice at Gillette Stadium. “When I first started playing defense, I was a 3-tech. When I got to college, I was like 280 [pounds], during my first year at Oregon. I’m used to playing on the inside, but I’m just trying to be wherever I need me to be. I’m just showcasing it all right now, just so that they can see where I’m at with it. Wherever they need me rushing, I’ll rush.”
Swinson knows that the where is not the only important aspect to rushing the passer. It’s also the how, which is also why focusing on the interior has become important for him.
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“Over the past few years, even last year, one of the games I did rush, I feel like I was just too far past the quarterback,” he explained. “My coach, Mike Smith — Coach Smitty — he always shows us how a majority of the rushers these past few years have been winning on inside moves; rushing the quarterback by coming back, getting there. So, I’m just trying to incorporate a new level to my game.”
In order to turn theory into practice, Swinson has overhauled his body. After playing at around 270 pounds during his rookie year, he reported to training camp at 255 pounds — the result of a stricter diet and a more focused offseason approach.
The change in weight has led to improved levels of comfort, which in turn allow Swinson to do what he set out to do: prove himself a capable do-it-all piece along New England’s defensive line.
“I really feel like I got my twitch back, just the get-off standpoint,” he said. “Honestly, my overall movement, the change of direction, how I’m feeling — my stamina, capacity — all that just makes it feel like I have way more. I feel a lot more comfortable when I’m moving around now.”
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