Alabama EDGE Chris Braswell is among the premier pass-rushing prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. Braswell exploded out of his shell to record a career-high 10.5 sacks in 2023. Pairing that with the athleticism displayed at the NFL Combine, Braswell is well-positioned to be one of the first pass rushers drafted.
Braswell recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network about waiting his turn behind Will Anderson Jr. at Alabama, playing for Nick Saban, his pass-rush arsenal, partaking in Ramadan, practicing against JC Latham, and so much more.
JM: You had an incredible season. You posted a career-high 10.5 sacks. You played some of the best football of your college career. What led to the uptick in production?
Chris Braswell: I always knew I could play at a high level. I had some talented guys in front of me. We all learned from each other. I eventually made the most of my opportunity. I was excited to showcase my talents on the field.
JM: You briefly touched on my next question. Success didn't come overnight. You had to wait your turn when you arrived in 2020 and played sparingly in 2021 behind guys like Will Anderson Jr. and Christian Barmore. What lessons did you learn from watching those guys?
Chris Braswell: I just learned to be patient. Those guys played a relentless brand of football and I adopted the same mindset. No matter what happens, you need to have a short-term memory. Good plays and bad plays happen. You simply need to get ready to fight another down. Just go out there and continue to play your brand of football.
JM: You're in the middle of Ramadan. You've been fasting before your workouts, which means you're not eating food or drinking water going into your workouts, including Pro Day. Talk to me about the discipline required when food and water are often the fuel athletes like yourself need going into those workouts.
Chris Braswell: Ramadan is one of the main pillars of Islam. All Muslims are supposed to fast during Ramadan. It definitely takes a lot of discipline to wake up at five in the morning to make sure you get some food and water in before fasting.
On top of that, you have to make sure you get your mandatory five prayers in during the day. A lot of people think it’s hard, but honestly, I see it as spreading my meals out throughout the day. I eat at five in the morning and the next time you’ll eat is at 7 p.m.
It’s pretty easy once you get adjusted to it. It takes two to three days to adjust. You’ll be very hungry those first two or three days. Once you get through those initial first days, it’s amazing how the body adjusts. The body adapts well to new habits. You just have to establish those habits.
JM: I love the discipline you're showing to stay true to your beliefs throughout the busiest, most important month of your life. That says a lot about you. You had an incredible NFL Combine. You ran a 4.6 40-yard dash with a 1.58 10-yard split. How satisfied were you with the performance?
Chris Braswell: I was very satisfied with my performance. I executed in every phase of the NFL Combine. I feel like I looked great throughout position drills. I don’t have any complaints about how I performed in Indianapolis.
JM: Athleticism led to those 10.5 sacks this season. How would you describe your pass rush arsenal? What are your go-to moves and counters?
Chris Braswell: I love converting speed to power. That comes first and foremost when I rush the passer. I want to see what tackles are made of. I can also set up that long arm. That long arm gives tackles fits.
My bread and butter is the cross chop though. After I’ve hit you with that speed to power, tackles start leaning forward and throw that outside arm. I’m definitely hitting that cross-chop once that happens.
JM: We love watching you rush the passer on tape. Talk to me about the impact Nick Saban had on you personally and professionally. You'll never forget that you played for coach Saban in his final season. That’s an honor you’ll always have.
Chris Braswell: Playing for coach Saban was a great experience. I learned a lot from him, a lot of great lessons in both football and life. One of the biggest things I learned from him is how to do all of the little things right. You have to stay true to yourself even when nobody's watching. Don’t switch up when the cameras come on and the media is in your face.
The guys that do everything right even when nobody’s watching is a lesson coach Saban taught me. I’ll carry that with me to the next level.
JM: That’s an incredible lesson. You had so many incredible teammates at Alabama, but I'm going to put you on the spot. If you were going to war tomorrow and could only bring one with you, who would it be and why?
Chris Braswell: Wow, that’s a tough one (laughs). I’d probably say JC Latham. He’s like 6-foot-6 and 340 pounds (laughs). I’m going with him for sure.
JM: That’s a great choice. He’s so big that most people could just hide behind him. You’re too big for that though (laughs).
Chris Braswell: Yeah, I’m not going to hide behind him (laughs). I’m going to be right there standing next to him. I’m not as big as him, but I’m a pretty big guy myself (laughs). We can cause havoc on the frontlines.
JM: Those must have been some fun battles in practice.
Chris Braswell: Great battles. I’ve been practicing against JC Latham since my freshman season. We helped each other grow. We know all each other’s moves (laughs). I’d go against him in practice, and the game felt easy sometimes because not many tackles are JC Latham.
Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great tackles out there, but there are very few JC Latham’s.
JM: He was one of the best tackles in the country. We've appreciated your time today. This conversation has highlighted why you’re one of the best prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. When a team uses a top-50 pick on Chris Braswell, what kind of guy are they getting? What kind of impact are you going to make?
Chris Braswell: They’re going to get a tough, relentless competitor. I’m extremely disciplined and accountable. I always put the team first. I love to go out there and get after opposing quarterbacks.
