Chiefs Draft: Alabama DE Chris Braswell brings power the team needs

Since Kansas Metropolis Chiefs defensive finish Charles Omenihu tore his ACL throughout January’s AFC Championship recreation, he’s prone to miss all of coaching camp — and will start the 2024 season on the workforce’s physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) record. As well as, defensive finish Mike Danna stays a free agent.

So despite the fact that they’ve invested two of their current first-round draft picks into the place, the Chiefs are nonetheless out there for defensive ends. Contemplating this (and their different wants), it doesn’t appear probably that Kansas Metropolis would purchase one within the first spherical of April’s NFL Draft in Detroit. However on Day 2, the Chiefs might contemplate a defensive finish like Alabama’s Chris Braswell.

Let’s see what he might deliver to Kansas Metropolis.

Background

Popping out of Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy, Braswell was a four-star, top-40 recruit who had affords from Georgia, Clemson, Florida and Duke — however finally selected Alabama, the place he performed for 4 seasons.

Braswell didn’t play as a freshman and had simply 114 snaps in his second yr. However as a junior, he collected 30 pressures, 4 sacks and 5 quarterback hits in 330 snaps over 13 video games. Then in 2023, he registered 56 pressures, 10 sacks, 10 quarterback hits and three pressured fumbles over 569 snaps in 14 appearances, incomes second-team All-SEC honors from the Related Press.

Braswell checked into the NFL Scouting Mix at 6 foot 3 and 251 kilos, with 33 1/4-inch arms and an 81 3/8-inch wingspan. He solely ran the 40-yard sprint on the Mix, posting a powerful 4.60-second 40-yard sprint (88th percentile) with a 1.59 10-yard cut up (87th percentile).

Movie analysis

Taking part in in opposition to the run, Braswell isn’t monumental — however his skill to set the sting could be very spectacular. He has stone arms that give him an incredible quantity of energy in his punch — and he possesses the size to maintain offensive tackles off his chest. As well as, Braswell performs with super pad degree and physicality. He might instantly step into an NFL protection and be efficient on operating performs.

As a go rusher, Braswell’s essential energy is an elite skill to transform velocity to energy; he shows extra energy than most defensive ends who outweigh him by 20 kilos. Whereas his first step is above common, he has elite size and energy. He has sufficient velocity to power tackles to open their hips to forestall him from getting across the arc. Braswell can then use this leverage to transform his velocity angle to energy, utilizing his arms and size to get right into a sort out’s chest and drive them backward. Braswell’s lengthy arms are extremely sturdy; he can collapse the pocket together with his inside arm.

However Braswell brings further abilities, too. Whereas he isn’t overly flexible, he does show sufficient bend to win across the nook. He reveals wonderful stability via contact — and together with his energy, he can flip a decent arc with out being knocked off his path. When a sort out jump-sets him, Braswell can acknowledge it — and use his fast swim transfer (and elite closing velocity) to punish his opponent.

Braswell additionally has a pleasant bag of inside strikes, which embody a swim transfer and a euro step that he can use to beat overaggressive tackles when he will get a superb angle. Braswell doesn’t have elite agility — however he has sufficient of it to threaten with both shoulder to open his energy recreation.

How he matches with the Chiefs

Braswell’s match with present defensive ends George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah appeals to me. The Chiefs didn’t align Karlaftis on the inside fairly often final yr, giving him simply 83 snaps contained in the tackles in 2023. As soon as Charles Omenihu returned from his suspension, there wasn’t a lot want for Karlaftis to serve on the inside — however in his restricted use there, he appeared like somebody who might increase in that position.

When Anudike-Uzomah will get elevated alternatives in 2024, he’s going to be the simplest when utilizing velocity and suppleness to win across the arc. With Anudike-Uzomah working the nook — and with Karlaftis and Chris Jones on the inside — all of the Chiefs want is somebody who can collapse the pocket with energy.

That’s the place Braswell is available in. His skill to push the pocket with explosiveness and energy can be a pleasant complement to his new teammates — and provides the workforce a properly layered go rush that may preserve quarterbacks from transferring across the pocket. If Braswell can collapse the pocket’s floor space, Karlaftis and Jones might use their skill to bat passes and wreak havoc from the within to nice impact.

The underside line

Braswell jogs my memory of a extra athletic model of Mike Danna, who additionally wins by utilizing his energy and size. Nonetheless, Danna has sufficient instruments in his bag to throw tackles in a bind and win in a number of methods — inside, across the nook or via a sort out’s chest with energy. And like Braswell, Danna can also be an outstanding run defender.

Whereas I don’t suppose Braswell has a extremely excessive ceiling, his ground is extraordinarily stable; he might instantly are available in and assist the protection. Anudike-Uzomah and Karlaftis are the way forward for the place, whereas Braswell matches into the image as stable, cheap depth. I might see him being a stable starter on most NFL groups — which might make him an amazing participant as Kansas Metropolis’s third or fourth defensive finish.

Grade: Spherical 3