Chris Brazzell | Tennessee | 6’4”, 198 lbs | Sep, 2003 (22 years)

Chris Brazzell was drafted by the Carolina Panthers, becoming the 14th wide receiver and 83rd overall player in the 2026 NFL Draft.

COLLEGE PRODUCTION

*Statistics Pulled from Sports Reference

In 2025, Brazzell led the SEC in receiving yards (1,017) and receiving touchdowns (9). He recorded four 100-yard games, including an impressive 177-yard, 3-touchdown performance against Georgia. Brazell was a Third-team Associated Press All-American and First-team All-SEC and was a semifinalist for both the Biletnikoff Award (top WR) and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award. Brazzell is projected to be a 2nd-round selection by NFL Mock Draft Database, and Lance Zierlein has a player comparison of Christian Watson. 

FILM

STRENGTHS
Brazzell is a “Z” receiver with the ability to create downfield and create more explosive plays outside. In 2025, you can see on tape that the game slowed down for him, and he’s very good at using his length and body control to capture air space against defenders. He builds up speed extremely well with his long strides and dominates on jump balls with his size and body control. On the field, he looks like a quarterback’s best friend with his big hands and wide catch radius. His intermediate breaks became more disguised and crisp this past season as he showed adequate hip drop and footwork for this tall center of gravity. His footwork on boundary catches is polished and is pro-ready. He adds an immediate vertical dimension that can loosen defenses, and his dynamic playmaking ability is a real threat.
WEAKNESSES

The first noticeable red flag with Brazzell is that, with his thin frame, he needs to become more physical on contested targets underneath. He didn’t see many press challenges this past season, and he needs to improve against two-high shells and zone-heavy looks. Brazzell also needs to improve his route fakes, and he builds speed down the field, but isn’t always able to separate. With his thinner frame, he’s also an inconsistent finisher over the first two levels of the field, and he’s not elusive or determined after the catch on underneath routes. Even though he rarely saw tight/press coverage on short throws, he’s bound to see this at the NFL level and needs to learn to beat it. 

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ATHLETIC TESTING

At the Combine, Brazzell measured 6’ 4” and 198 lbs. His arms measured 32 3/8” with a hand size of 9”. He checked in with an impressive 40-yard dash time of and a 1.52 10-yard split. He finished with an NFL NextGen Stats composite score of 78, ranking him 7th amongst wide receivers in the class and projecting him to be a plus NFL starter. Brazell is an extremely efficient receiver based on metrics, and his size/speed combo makes him a very intriguing prospect who has all the raw athletic tools to succeed at the next level with further development.

DRAFT ANALYSIS 

Rapid Reaction to Draft Capital: Average

Rapid Reaction to Landing Spot: Average

Brazzell was selected with the 83rd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.

FANTASY INSIGHTS

I rank Brazell as the 10th wide receiver in this year’s wide receiver class for projected future Dynasty value; his landing spot for now and the future isn’t the most exciting. The Panthers quarterback situation also isn’t elite. While Bryce Young has proven in spurts that he can be solid, he’s not taken that next step yet. Additionally, Brazzell projects as the possible WR3 or WR4 in the Panthers’ offense, solidly behind Tet McMillan and Jalen Coker. He’ll be fighting for targets in an offense that doesn’t necessarily scare you. 

Expect Brazell to be taken late in the mid-second round of Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Drafts. Brazzell still has the potential to be a very good Dynasty asset, but he will need to prove he can be the clear WR2 in the Panthers’ offense to command more target share and create opportunities for production. Brazzell has a high ceiling talent-wise, and I’m still drafting him on the assumption that the Panthers’ offense is an improving unit and that he can be the piece that takes them to new heights. 

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Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you gained some valuable information. If you have any questions or you’d like additional insight and analysis, please follow me on Twitter/X at @MonicasHubby. #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding