NFL Draft Profile: Joshua Braun

The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a week away. Personnel departments are locking in for the last weekend in April where the three-day mega-event in Pittsburgh will include 257 picks over seven rounds.

For the Kentucky football program, the Wildcats are scheduled to have a busy Day 2 and Day 3. There are a handful of players who could become draft selections. KSR is here to get the Big Blue Nation ready after being there every step of the way during the pre-draft process.

Before our yearly draft guide publishes on draft week at KSR+, profiles on every expected Kentucky draft pick will hit the world wide web in preparation for the biggest non-game event on the sports calendar.

A longtime SEC starter is up next.

NFL Draft Profile: Jalen Farmer

NFL Draft Profile: Kendrick Law

NFL Draft Profile: Jager Burton

NFL Draft Profile: Seth McGowan

NFL Draft Profile: David Gusta

Player: Joshua Braun

• Height: 6061
• Weight: 325
• Age: 25.2
• Arm: 34 5/8″
• Hand: 10 1/2″
• 40-Yard Dash: DNP
• 10-Yard Split: DNP
• Short Shuttle: 4.82
• 3-cone: 7.62
• Vertical: 28 1/2″
• Broad Jump: 8’5″
• Bench: 23
• Relative Athletic Score

The Kentucky offensive guard did not complete all of the athletic testing but brings terrific size to the position but the bench press number was underwhelming. A strong 3-cone time stood out the most in the pre-draft testing.

Production

— 2020 (Freshman | Florida): 11 games, 147 snaps (146 at right guard, 1 at tight end), 58.3 PFF grade, 1 pressure allowed (0 sacks), 0 penalties

— 2021 (Sophomore | Florida): 13 games, 7 starts, 639 snaps (446 at left guard, 193 at right guard), 50.6 PFF grade, 18 pressures allowed (0 sacks), 1 penalty

— 2022 (Junior | Florida): 2 games, 24 snaps (11 at left tackle, 10 at left guard, 2 at right guard, 1 at tight end)

— 2023 (Redshirt Junior | Arkansas): 12 games, 12 starts, 790 snaps (736 at right guard, 54 at left guard), 70.7 PFF grade, 16 pressures allowed (2 sacks), 3 penalties, Second-Team All-SEC

— 2024 (Redshirt Senior | Arkansas): 12 games, 12 starts, 835 snaps (all at right guard), 73.3 PFF grade, 8 pressures allowed (1 sack), 4 penalties

— 2025 (6th-year Senior | Kentucky): 12 games, 12 starts, 820 snaps (all at left guard), 62.5 PFF grade, 15 pressures allowed (3 sacks), 3 penalties

— Career: 62 games, 43 starts, 3,255 snaps (1,912 at right guard, 1,330 at right guard), 58 pressures allowed (6 sacks), 11 penalties

Background

Joshua Braun was a four-star recruit in the class of 2020 who was committed to Georgia to play for offensive line coach Sam Pittman before flipping to sign with Florida. The offensive guard spent three seasons in Gainesville playing for both Dan Mullen and Billy Napier. Braun played a rotation role as a true freshman on a team that reached the SEC Championship Game before becoming a starter as a sophomore. However, a coaching change arrived and Braun took a redshirt in 2022 under Napier. That led to a transfer.

Braun reunited with Pittman at Arkansas and spent two years playing for the Razorbacks. Playing right guard, this SEC veteran earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2023 and was a quality starter for the Hogs in 2024. That ultimately led to another transfer.

Kentucky offensive line coach Eric Wolford recruited Braun when he was at South Carolina. Yet another previous relationship ended up playing a big factor in a transfer decision. Due to the additional year of eligibility granted by the NCAA from the COVID-19 pandemic, Braun spent his final season at Kentucky. He started all 12 games for the Wildcats but shifted over to left guard.

The offensive lineman has played a ridiculous amount of snaps and ends his collegiate career by starting in 36 consecutive games.

Scouting Report

Joshua Braun has size, experience, play strength, durability, and awareness. This is a proven SEC veteran who has seen it all in college football. That experience gained will be an asset as he begins his college football journey.

The big offensive guard has plenty of potential as pass blocker and is mostly a proven commodity in that regard. This 25-year-old has great positional size and length that makes him hard to move around. However, there are concerns in the run game and Braun is not the most fleet of football. A downhill attack would best suit the veteran but he will have to improve on his power parts of the game to truly stick.

Braun is one of the oldest players in this draft class but his physical measurements and pass protection track record should give him a long look by someone. There are plenty of guards with more raw power and athleticism in this draft, but the multi-time SEC transfer should have a legit shot at sticking in the NFL due to the two big assets he brings to the table.

Draft Window

• Dane Brugler (The Athletic): Round 7/UDFA
• Lance Zierlein (NFL Media): Round 7/UDFA

There is a very good chance that Joshua Braun lasts until the end of the NFL Draft. This veteran is up there in age and does not have the power that most NFL teams will want on his big frame. However, there are plenty of assets that will make Braun a commodity either at the end of Day 3 or as a priority undrafted free agent.

The size, durability, and pass protection will attract teams. If the Kentucky left guard goes undrafted, he will likely have plenty of teams fighting over him on Saturday night when free agency deals are agreed to.