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Chris Braswell Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell
Strengths:
- Fast edge rusher
- Extremely athletic
- Explosive off the ball
- Speed to turn the corner
- Impressive strength for his size
- Dangerous speed to power rusher
- Has the ability to bend
- Excellent agility
- Can sink his hips and dip low under blockers
- Closes in a hurry
- Excellent pursuit skills
- Run-and-chase defender
- Lots of athletic upside to develop
Weaknesses:
- Lacks size of an every-down end
- Raw
- Could use development in pass-rushing moves
- Could have issues defending runs straight at him
- Not a great fit in a 4-3 defense
Prospect Summary:
For a few years, there was buzz in scouting circles about Braswell being a freak athlete who could break out for Alabama. Braswell would have seen the field much earlier at other schools, but with the Crimson Tide, he was stuck behind top-10 talents like Will Anderson Jr. and Dallas Turner. In 2022, Braswell was a backup who rotated into the game behind Anderson and Turner. That season, he totaled 21 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks. In 2023 with Anderson in the NFL, Braswell finally was a starter, and he played well, recording 42 tackles, eight sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception and a pass batted.
Against the pass, Braswell has a serious burst off the ball to work upfield and a first-step that combine to turn him into being a fast edge rusher. With his speed and athleticism, Braswell is dangerous to fly around the corner and achieve quick pressure on the quarterback. However, Braswell lacks some size and needs development of pass-rushing moves. He never had a dominant season at Alabama despite a great skill set, and that illustrates the need for patient coaching at the pro level.
In the ground game, Braswell is a solid run defender, particularly considering he weighs just about 250 pounds. He flashes the ability to get off blocks and flow to the ball-carrier. While Braswell is not big, he is strong for his size and has some natural power in his body. For the NFL, Braswell will need to get better at defending downhill runs coming straight at him.
In a 4-3 defense, Braswell would have to be a Sam linebacker who moves down to defensive end in the sub package. He might be more of a rotational player in that system rather than a true three-down starter. Hence, Braswell might fit best in the pros as a 3-4 outside linebacker. In the 2024 NFL Draft, Braswell could be a second-round pick. There is not a strong class of edge-rushing talent this year, while Braswell has a lot of upside to develop. He has the skill set to be a pro starter after some refinement.
Prospect Comparison:
Markus Golden. Braswell is similar to Golden coming out of Missouri. Golden (6-2, 260) showed speed off the edge with strength for his size. Golden was a second-round pick in 2015, and Braswell could go in the second frame during the 2024 NFL Draft. If Braswell develops and pans out in the NFL, he could be an edge defender similar to Golden, who has put together some productive years rushing the quarterback for the Cardinals and Giants.
RELATED LINKS:
2024 NFL Mock Draft - April 23
NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22
Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19
NFL Picks - Feb. 12
