Chris Braswell NFL Draft Overview
Shhh…if you listen closely, you can hear the joy of college football coaches now that Nick Saban has retired. Unfortunately for NFL GMs, Saban’s retirement might be the end of an NFL Pipeline. However, Saban left us a few treats of prospects that will leave a mark at the NFL level. One of those treats is Edge pass rusher Chris Braswell.
Braswell was a four-star and number 39 overall recruit out of Baltimore, Maryland, St France’s High School. The edge rusher committed to Alabama, where, by his sophomore year, he was a minor role player for the Tide. Braswell became a critical rotational player in his junior season behind two studs, Will Anderson Jr. and Dallas Turner. Senior year, Braswell finally became a full-time starter and delivered 42 tackles, ten tackles for loss, and eight sacks. The All-SEC performer rose to the occasion, putting Alabama’s defense back on top. However, did he perform to earn a first-round grade? Let’s dig into the film!
Position: Edge
Height: 6’3 (Unofficial)
Weight: 255 lbs (Unofficial)
Age: 22 years old
School: Alabama
Chris Braswell Player Evaluation
Braswell’s Strengths
- He gets off with a physical strike-first mentality to support his power rush and speed to threaten the edge.
- He has violent hands and knockback power when setting the edge, setting up his power rush, and on DLine games.
- Has good pass rush moves and quite a few. Has a good bull rush.
- A good rip, push, and pull a solid club. Has a developing pass rush plan showing still untapped potential there.
- He has a fantastic motor and has a film full of high-activity motor plays.
- He will get effort and coverage sacks late in the down. Great in pursuit and plays hard to the whistle.
- Has a nice inside swim move counter. Good at setting the edge and playing with physicality.
- He does his job and is capable of occasional big play in the backfield.
- He can bend the edge, make tackles, and occasionally cover in space.
Braswell’s Weakness
- Inexperienced with only one full year of starting.
- His inconsistent pass rush plan and block recognition/play recognition are sometimes slower than his peers.
- He has to rely consistently on athletic motor skills due to his short 32-inch arms.
- He has trouble getting off the block once Tackle beats him by getting his hands on him first.
- He has a very good bag of pass-rush moves but relies on a bull rush. He needs to be versatile in using his pass moves.
- Will his power translate to the NFL? NFL Tackles are much more significant, technologically sound, and more robust.
- He won’t get away with over reliance on power moves.
Projection: Second Round Pick
NFL Comparison: Jabaal Sheard
Best Fits: Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, and the Baltimore Ravens.
