Perhaps so... It depends, I suppose, on how one defends “intellectual.” I’d argue that there can be a significant degree of overlap between catechists and intellectuals.
I think categorizing Fr. Hardon is up in the air. I’m not sure about Brownson - *such* a noodle. Scott Hahn, perhaps, although time will show how his output stands up to further analysis. Better than Brownson’s, I predict.