Bears 7th Round Pick #230: WR Daniel Braverman
The Bears got almost no production out of the slot receiver position last year, so they used their seventh round pick on one of the most productive receivers in college football last season. Western Michigan WR Daniel Braverman finished second in the nation with 108 catches and also had 1,367 yards and 13 touchdowns.
He’s undersized at 5’10, 177 pounds but has NFL speed (4.47 40-time), elite quickness (6.86 3-cone), and is a precise route runner who excels at getting open out of the slot. A key part of Braverman’s gaudy statistics is his ability to make people miss. According to Pro Football Focus, Braverman made 24 defenders miss after the catch which was the 2nd highest total in college football last season.
Granted the majority of Braverman’s production came against lesser competition in the MAC, but he faced two of the best defenses in college football last year in Ohio St and Michigan St and more than held his own. Six of the Buckeyes 11 defensive starters were drafted within the first three rounds this year and they had no answer for Braverman.
He finished the game with 10 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. Braverman did the same thing against Michigan St with 13 catches for 109 yards. He proved he can be productive against the best college football had to offer.
Braverman’s advanced stats back up his production. According to PFF he led all CFB receivers with 3.27 yards gained per route run and only had 11 drops in 198 chances over the last two seasons. Braverman’s coaches called him the hardest working player on the team and he will need to be to succeed in the NFL at his size.
The Bears appear to have gotten another draft day steal in Braverman as PFF, NFL, and CBS all had between 3rd & 5th round grade on him. With just the injury-prone Eddie Royal and journeyman Marc Mariani in front of him on the depth chart, Braverman has a chance to make an impact for the Bears right away.
Scouting reports on Daniel Braverman
From NFL.com
"Braverman’s lack of size will be a concern and he may be limited to working just short and intermediate in the NFL, but his ability to uncover through route savvy and foot quickness combined with his talent after the catch will appeal to teams looking for competitor in the slot. Braverman might feel like a cliche’, but it would be unwise to sleep on his potential and he could become a contributor early on.Sources Tell Us: “Just go turn on the Ohio State game and you know right away that he can play in the league. He’ll be limited to spread teams, but he can get open in our league.” — AFC wide receivers coach"
From PFF
"Like Oklahoma’s Sterling Shepard, Braverman has the opportunity to come into the NFL and create matchup problems out of the slot. Five years ago he would have been considered a late round draft pick, but in today’s NFL and the number of teams who look to the slot, he could go much higher."
From CBS Sports
"A two-year starter, Braverman lined up inside and outside at Western Michigan and posted elite production the last two seasons, including seven double-digit reception games and 12 100-yard receiving performances. A crafty route runner, he makes himself available in his route with the body control to snap out of breaks and adjust to throws.Braverman is undersized and lacks explosive speed to win on athleticism alone, but he is a football lifer who will out-work most rookies in this class, embracing the underdog role. Although likely relegated to the slot in the NFL, Braverman is quicker than fast with an innate feel as an underneath target."