Several schools west of the Mississippi had interest in Brailford coming out of Tulsa’s Booker T. Washington High School, where he was a first-team all-state pick his senior year (98 tackles, 11 sacks). The home-state Cowboys won out, and after a redshirt season, Brailford contributed in 10 games his freshman year (23 tackles, 3.5 for loss, one sack). A shin injury knocked him out for the 2016 season, and he was awarded a medical hardship redshirt for that season.
The following spring, Brailford missed time after requiring surgery on his shoulder. He was ready to go for the fall, though he played the first four games as a reserve before moving into the starting line-up for the final nine contests. He was a second-team All-Big 12 selection that year, posting 57 tackles, 10.5 for loss, and 4.5 sacks. Brailford became one of the top playmakers in the country as a junior, garnering first-team all-conference notice after leading OSU with 16 tackles for loss and nine sacks among his 54 total stops.
High-effort edge talent who became a disruptive presence this season thanks to scheme, motor and burst. Brailford’s measurables fall a little short of NFL edge standards and his movement is more linear than lateral which creates limitations in space. He operates with decent play strength and hand violence, and he offers enough upfield rush for teams to work with. He’s a likely middle round backup with special teams value, whose ceiling could be pushed higher by additional coaching.
- Times it up and gets off the snap quickly
- Hard upfield push with first three rush steps
- Maintains space from tackle to prevent being punched before his turn
- Features an inside spin counter that may have some legs
- Made basic drops into zone as stand-up linebacker
- Successfully crosses blocker’s face
- Slim into gaps knifing into backfield for disruption
- Punches above weight class at point of attack
- Can extend and anchor to set edge
- Used on a variety of stand-up twists and stunts
- Reps as inside linebacker vs
- zone-read offenses
- Undersized at just 241 pounds at Shrine practices
- Lacks desired length as edge-setter
- Gathering/redirecting weight in space is a challenge
- Tape littered with missed tackles
- Plays fast, but lacks control
- Pursues to low-side of runner and dives into missed arm tackles
- Unable to stay square on lateral slides with blocks
- Content to try and burn the edge as rusher
- Sticks to tackles who run him around pocket
- Rush needs creativity with counters on stand-by
- Sack imbalance with a majority coming early in season
