Expectations for the Buccaneers rookie: Chris Braswell

July 22, 2024

The long wait is over as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and other teams around the league report to training camp today. The rookies are expected in the building for the Bucs today, the veterans will arrive tomorrow. The cleats are laced up and the pads are on, and the road to the Super Bowl begins now.

—

This is our first opportunity to see these rookies in a Buccaneers uniform. I know I will be watching them very closely throughout training camp as these rookies are expected to play a crucial role this season. The Bucs’ first five draft picks are all expected to get a lot of playing time and fill clear roles.

But is it really fair to expect so much from guys who have never taken an NFL snap? In short, it’s a little bit yes and a little bit no. In this series, I’ll look at the realistic expectations for each of the Buccaneers rookies this year.

Chris Braswell

You don’t expect to be able to get a top five edge rusher in the draft at the end of the second round. I think that’s exactly what the Bucs did when they drafted Chris Braswell. He may not have gotten nearly as much hype, but I had him ranked higher than first-round draft pick Chop Robinson (Penn State edge rusher who was drafted in the first round by Miami).

What I really love about Braswell is two things. The first is his athletic ability. In terms of power and explosiveness, Braswell has as much athletic talent as anyone in the draft. And the way he uses that effectively is the other thing I love about this player.

Braswell is considered a power player. He is a liability on offense and a threat in the running game. He also uses his strength and explosiveness to rush forward and put pressure on the man in front of him.

—

Throughout the draft process, Braswell’s style of play reminded me a lot of another Buccaneer player. That was last year’s rookie, Yaya Diaby. Another exceptional athlete who wins with raw power and athletic ability. I think we can all agree that adding another Diaby to the Bucs roster can only be a good thing.

I would expect Braswell to follow a similar path to Diaby. I don’t expect him to win the job right out of training camp, but at some point it will be impossible to keep him off the field. By mid-season, when he has developed his technique a bit and is more established, I expect Braswell to take over the other starting position opposite Diaby.

—

That’s not to say I think Braswell will lead the team in sacks like Diaby did last year. But I do expect him to be a big contributor to the Bucs’ overall pass rush. In terms of statistics, here’s my prediction.

5.5 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, 34 total tackles.

It’s fair to have high expectations for Braswell. I believe he has better prospects than Diaby did coming out of college. He will be an important part of these Buccaneers’ front seven and an important part of their pass rush.

Don’t be surprised if things get slow here, though. It’s a crowded fringe room and Braswell will have to earn his spot. It looks like he’ll really hit the ground running after the off week and have a very impactful rookie season in 2024.

Click here to learn more from JT, then follow him on Twitter.

Follow, like and subscribe to Bucs Report