The 2024 NFL Draft is getting close, making it an excellent time to highlight some of the class' best players with scouting reports. Each report will include strengths, weaknesses and background information.
Here's our report on Chris Braswell.
Chris Braswell 2024 NFL Combine Results
- Height: 6-foot-3 3/8"
- Weight: 251
- Arm length: 33 1/4"
- 40-yard dash: 4.6
- 10-yard split: 1.59
- Vertical jump: 33.5"
Chris Braswell 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Strengths
- Showed effective hand usage as an edge pass rusher with flexibility to clear the arc and flatten his rush path to the quarterback
- Burst off the ball generated churning velocity as speed-to-power edge rusher driving back offensive tackle into the pocket
- Highly effective with one-arm stab as edge rusher initially moving offensive tackles and forcing them into reactive mode
- One-arm stab was his go-to and best pass-rush move and he had outstanding success with it in multiple games
- Flashed an inside counter working underneath off initial upfield steps that at times resulted in tackle over-setting
- Had pass-rush snaps in which he initially challenged the edge then re-directed underneath to make the sack
- Strength and power were his foundation as a pass rusher; consistently moved offensive linemen on contact
- Pass-rush snaps in which he cleared the edge then flattened his rush path and closed with a burst to the quarterback
- He did an excellent job setting the edge in the run game, squeezing inside, playing off the block and making the play
- Has strength as a run defender to take on and stalemate a pulling offensive lineman; snaps where he stood them up on initial contact
- Made plays in the run game outside the box and showed good range and pursuit ability to work outside the hashes
- Braswell has obvious power in his body and hands, and that almost always transitions to the NFL
Weaknesses
- Not overly sudden or twitchy, more of a build-up power generator than a raw explosive mover
- Does not possess the motorcycle lean flexibility to bend the edge and flatten his rush path to close with speed
- Needs to develop a wider array of pass-rush moves and counters to become an effective edge rusher in the NFL
NFL Transition
Braswell is one of those prospects who will find a place in the NFL as either a starter at OLB in a base 5-2 front or as a sub-front edge pass rusher, or both, as his career develops.
Braswell’s game on tape is built on power more than higher-level athleticism, and that's obvious when you look at his pass-rush approach. He is much more straight-line linear than loose and flexible. That leads to Braswell being a speed-to-power rusher with a highly effective one-arm stab much more than a bend-the-edge motorcycle lean pass rusher who can consistently win challenging offensive tackles on the high side and clearing the arc. Braswell showed an effective speed-to-power conversion initially challenging the high side and threatening the edge before driving into offensive tackles with velocity and explosive power,
One thing that consistently stood out was Braswell had an explosive closing burst to the quarterback with impressive short-area acceleration. The more you watch Braswell the more you appreciate his natural strength and explosive power, and those almost always transition effectively to the next level. It would not be a surprise if as Braswell develops and gains more experience he becomes a core piece of a defensive front in the base defense and the sub-defense.
There is a Matt Judon comparison to be made when Judon came out of Grand Valley State and was a fifth-round pick of the Ravens. Judon was a little bigger (270 pounds), but keep in mind that Judon did not start a game as a rookie and did not develop as an NFL pass rusher until his second season
Other Notes
Braswell was a highly regarded 5-start recruit from Maryland and played four years at Alabama, becoming a dominant player in 2023
Braswell was predominantly an edge pass rusher in Alabama’s defense, but there were pass-rush snaps in which he lined up inside at 3-technique and 4i. Braswell also had snaps in which he aligned as the overhang defender or walked out over the slot, and there were snaps in which he dropped into underneath zone coverage. His sack vs. Ole Miss provided a great snapshot of Braswell as a pass rusher: two steps to threaten the edge then a speed-to-power conversion driving through the right into the pocket.
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