Chris Braswell NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for Tampa Bay Buccaneers Edge

HEIGHT: 6'3"

WEIGHT: 251

HAND: 9⅜"

ARM: 33¼"

WINGSPAN: 81⅜"

---

40-YARD DASH: 4.6

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 33.5"

BROAD: 9'7"

---

POSITIVES

— Good size and frame for an NFL edge and appears to have long arms.

— Has impressive speed to win around the edge as a pass-rusher.

— Shown a handful of pass-rush moves he can win with, including a rip, cross-chop, long-arm and arm-over.

— Solid bull-rusher who keeps his legs moving through contact to collapse the pocket against weaker offensive tackles. Also has a few countermoves off the bull rush that he can win with like hump-by, rip or arm-over.

— Decent bend to turn a tight corner at the top of the rush.

---

NEGATIVES

— Very slow get-off out of a three-point stance, and stands up to move forward.

— Subpar lateral movement skills and block recognition, making him susceptible to getting reached by quicker offensive tackles and tight ends.

— Lacks upper-body strength and physicality at the point of attack when taking on blocks to get extension against offensive linemen.

— Below-average change of direction hinders his ability to turn speed to power as a pass-rusher.

— Accuracy and timing with his hands and initial chops to start pass-rush moves is a work in progress. Struggles to time up the blocker's punch and knock their hands down.

---

2023 STATISTICS

— 14 G, 42 TOT, 10.5 TFL, 8 SK, 1 INT, 1 TD, 1 PD, 3 FF

---

NOTES

— Born Oct. 25, 2001

— 5-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings

— 2023 second-team All-SEC (AP)

— No major injuries

---

OVERALL

With Will Anderson Jr. in the NFL this season, Chris Braswell finally got an opportunity to get a significant amount of playing time at Alabama, and he made a name for himself as a pass-rusher. He put up good numbers, ranking second on the team in sacks behind Dallas Turner, primarily because he can win in multiple ways.

Braswell has shown the ability to win with pure speed around the edge and has solid to good bend to help turn a tight corner. He also has a fairly deep pass-rush arsenal with the moves listed above and is a decent power rusher, as he keeps his legs pumping through contact. He also recognizes when he's reached the point of no return—or level with the quarterback—and uses his countermoves to work back inside.

However, Braswell's run defense isn't up to par. Alabama often kept him on the sidelines on running downs. He isn't very physical at the point of attack, and he appears to lack upper-body strength, which makes it difficult for him to get extension on blocks. He's also slow to key and diagnose run plays and has questionable lateral movement skills, which will lead to him getting reached in the NFL.

Overall, Braswell would be a good fit for a team that's looking for a standup outside linebacker who can contribute as a situational pass-rusher.

---

GRADE: 7.1 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 72

POSITION RANK: EDGE7

PRO COMPARISON: Joseph Ossai

---

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.