Todd Bowles praises second-year Buccaneers edge rusher after Steelers game

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need a strong pass rush in 2025, and to do that, second-year Chris Braswell will have to show out.

Braswell was drafted by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2024 draft, but he wasn't an immediate impact player last year. He got some snaps in rotation, but he netted just 1.5 sacks last year — now, he's looking to take a big step forward in 2025 in hopes of bolstering a pass-rushing corps that desperately needs it.

Braswell had a tough game against the Tennessee Titans, but Bucs head coach Todd Bowles still stood behind him. And after a much better outing vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bowles came away impressed with how Braswell played.

"I was happy with the play of [Chris] Braswell Jr. from the outside last night. The quarterback, Skylar [Thompson], was a very good athlete. Sometimes we got out-athleted, and other times we could have done a better job with contain," Bowles said.

Chris Braswell could be key for Buccaneers in 2025

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Chris Braswell warms up before a game against the Atlanta Falcons. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Buccaneers added to their edge group in 2025, signing free agent Haason Reddick and then drafting outside linebacker David Walker in the fourth round. Unfortunately, Walker tore his ACL and will be out for the season, so Braswell will have to hit in edge rotation to give the Bucs a truly lethal pass-rushing attack.

Thankfully, according to Bowles, Braswell is coming along nicely ahead of the team's Week 1 matchup vs. the Atlanta Falcons.

"He’s been taking the next step since he got back to [training] camp. His game doesn’t revolve around sacks – you have to be a good overall football player," Bowles said. "He’s playing faster and smarter, doing a lot of little things that go unnoticed. We have no problem putting him in the rotation. He’s also become a heck of a special teams player. He’s playing with more physicality because he’s playing faster and understanding what he’s doing, and that’s what we like about him.”

Braswell had one sack against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2 of preseason, and he'll have the opportunity to make some more plays in Week 3 vs. the Buffalo Bills. After that, the regular season is here, and he'll look to be a big contributor on a revamped Bucs defense.

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