The long wait is over as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and other teams around the league are reporting for training camp today. Rookies are expected to be in the building today for the Bucs with veterans arriving tomorrow. Cleats are laced up and pads will be on and the road to the Super Bowl begins now.
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This will be our first opportunity to really see these rookies in a Buccaneers uniform. I know I will be watching them very closely throughout camp because this rookie class is expected to pay a crucial role this season. The Bucs first five draft picks are all expected to get significant playing time with clear roles they are expected to assume.
But is it really fair to expect so much from guys who have never taken an NFL snap? In short, it’s a little of yes and a little of no. In this series I will look at realistic expectations for each of the Buccaneers rookies this year.
Chris Braswell
You don’t expect to be able to get one of the five best edge rushers in the draft at the back end of the second round. I believe that’s exactly what the Bucs were able to do when they drafted Chris Braswell. He might not have gotten nearly as much hype, but I had him ranked higher than first round draft pick Chop Robinson (edge rusher from Penn State who was drafted by Miami in the first round).
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 projects as a power player. He is a load to handle at the point of attack and a menace against the run. He also uses that power and explosiveness to burt forward and bully the man in front of him.
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Throughout the draft process, Braswell’s style of play reminded me very much of another Buccaneer player. That would be last year’s rookie Yaya Diaby. Another freak athlete who wins with raw power and athletic ability. I think we could all agree, adding another Diaby to this Bucs roster can only be a good thing.
I’d expect Braswell to take a similar path to Diaby. I don’t expect him to win the job out of camp, but eventually it will be impossible to keep him off the field. By mid season, after he has developed his technique some and established himself more, I expect Braswell to take command of the other starting edge job opposite of Diaby.
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That’s not to say that I think Braswell will lead the team in sacks like Diaby did last year. But I do expect that he will be a big contributor in terms of the Bucs overall pass rush. In terms of a stat line, here is my prediction.
5.5 sacks, 9 tackles for a loss, 34 total tackles.
It’s fair to have high expectations for Braswell. I believe he is a better prospect than Diaby even was coming out of college. He will be a big part of this Buccaneers front seven and a big part of their pass rush.
However, don’t be shocked if there is a slow start here. It is a crowded edge room and Braswell will have to earn his place. Looks for him to really take off after the bye week and have a very impactful rookie season in 2024.
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