Chris Braswell figures to factor into the Bucs pass rush this year. The team selected him in the second round of the draft in 2024 and has high hopes for him as he enters his second season.

After the loss of rookie David Walker – someone the Bucs were very high on – to a torn ACL, Braswell is now firmly a part of the team’s two-deep and will be a big part of their rotational pass rush.

That’s worrisome.

In a vacuum, Braswell’s rookie season was solid, if unspectacular. He was the fifth edge rusher selected and was fifth in snaps (214) among that group. Braswell was fifth in pressures (19), tied for fifth in sacks (3) – as measured by Pro Football Focus (no half sacks!) – and fourth in pass rush win rate (13.3%). It was a similar situation in true pass sets. Braswell was tied for fourth in pressures (14) and third in pass rush win rate (18.2%).

But the context of his rookie season puts a slightly negative connotation around that campaign. Former first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka was in the final year of his contract and was clearly on his way out. Anthony Nelson is a quality depth player, but you draft an edge rusher in the second round to overtake a player like Nelson – not play second fiddle to him. And that’s exactly what Braswell was last year. Second fiddle.

Braswell’s snap count declined as the season wore on. Even when Tryon-Shoyinka went down for several weeks in the latter half of the season.

For a Day 2 pick to be unable to increase his snap count when a starter dropped was concerning in and of itself. What was most perplexing was Braswell couldn’t carve out a bigger role despite some legitimate improvements in his technique and efficiency.

Concerns Surrounding Chris Braswell’s First Preseason Game

Chris Braswell got an extended look in the Bucs’ first preseason game against the Titans. He played 31 snaps and well into the third quarter. Meanwhile, Anthony Nelson was out after just 15 snaps and before the half. This clearly shows that in the pecking order of edge rushers, Nelson is the team’s third outside linebacker while Braswell is still number four. Braswell was not a young prospect, although he was somewhat raw coming out of Alabama last year with just over 1,000 defensive snaps under his belt.

Bucs OLB Chris Braswell – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

A smart man once told me you have to manage your expectations. Well, my expectations for an almost 24-year-old former second-round pick entering year two is higher than OLB4 on a pass rush that is considered mid-tier by most analysts.

Looking at his actual play in Tampa Bay’s first exhibition game yielded mixed results. First let’s establish some baseline understandings. Braswell was on the field for 18 pass plays. When evaluating him as a pass rusher you have to throw out several of those reps for a variety of reasons. Those reasons include play-action where he has to slow down to read out his run keys as well as screens/RPOs and quick game where the ball is out before he has an opportunity to affect the passer.

But Braswell wasn’t devoid of opportunities to impact the quarterback.

Braswell on 3rd down (no screens). pic.twitter.com/lT2dONTjI5

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) August 16, 2025

Todd Bowles believes, as most defensive-minded coaches do, that you have to earn the right to rush the passer on third down. Braswell was tough against the run against the Titans. He set hard edges, shed blocks and had quick feet to move inside. There is value in those skills. Does it add up to the expectations of a second-round pick? No. But Braswell is far from a finished product.

Getting The Most Out of Chris Braswell

How can the Bucs maximize Chris Braswell’s ability? Lean into what he does well while still trying to develop the areas that will round him into a more complete player. And at the same time, the team can get the most out of their best outside linebackers when it counts the most.

Last year 17% of Braswell’s snaps came on third down. Compare that to Tryon-Shoyinka’s 24%, Yaya Diaby’s 23% and Anthony Nelson’s 20%. Todd Bowles rotates his defensive linemen for the most part on a series-by-series basis. But there are other ways to leverage each player’s best fit to squeeze the extra 2% out of them.

Braswell is showing himself to be a competent run defender. He holds the point of attack well and sets good edges. He’s not afraid to take on a pulling lineman head up and isn’t physically outmatched when that occasion arises.

Bowles could try to squeeze more early run downs out of him, and Anthony Nelson for that matter, while saving his top-tier pass rushers for more long and late downs. If Reddick and Diaby end up at the end of the season with a third down snap share of 25-27% while Braswell is around 13-15%, that could mean Bowles has gotten the most production out of the group – even if that is at the expense of Braswell’s development as a pass rusher.

Don’t Overreact to One Preseason Game

Chris Braswell looked much better as a pass rusher in the Bucs’ second preseason game against the Steelers than he did against the Titans. Most of his opportunities came against Steven Jones – a 2024 undrafted free agent who is not likely to make Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster. But you play against the man in front of you, and against Jones, Braswell was regularly denting the pocket with a strong long arm technique and beat him for a sack.

He was also an integral factor in creating Kindle Vildor’s second quarter interception. Braswell hit Jones with a straight speed-to-power bull rush and deposited him into the lap of Skylar Thompson.

Bucs OLBs Chris Braswell and Anthony Nelson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

All of this to say that including both pre- and post-season, Braswell has just 476 career snaps. He is far from a finished product. There are some valid concerns for where Braswell is at on his development curve. And the Bucs need him to take a significant step forward to help improve their four-man pass rush from a year ago.

But it’s not an impossible outcome. And just one season into his pro career there are still a multitude of possible outcomes for Braswell and the Bucs.