Despite wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan bursting onto the scene in his rookie season to announce himself as the Carolina Panthers’ WR1, they still had something missing. That was a serious downfield threat, with true straight-line speed that can stretch defenses over the top.
Enter Chris Brazzell II.
Brazzell, standing 6-foot-4, ran a blistering 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. A quick look at his tape at Tennessee shows a player who is a serious deep threat and a real weapon for quarterback Bryce Young.
He led the Volunteers with 1,017 receiving yards and eight touchdowns last season. This included a dominant game against the Georgia Bulldogs, where the Fort Worth, Texas native exploded for six receptions, 177 receiving yards, and three scores in Tennessee's thrilling 44-41 loss at Neyland Stadium.
Chris Brazzell II brings much more then just speed to the Carolina Panthers
But despite a stellar final season in Knoxville, Panthers fans are still looking at this pick with a degree of trepidation. This is due to the continued failure of wide receivers who enter the league after spending time in Tennessee coach Josh Heupel’s offense.
Jaylin Hyatt is a name that immediately comes to mind. Like Brazzell, he was a speedy receiver taken in the third round. He also exploded in his final season in Knoxville with 1,267 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns on his way to winning the Biletnikoff award.
Despite a glittering college career, this has translated to abject failure in the pros. After tallying 373 yards receiving in his rookie season, Hyatt followed this up with 62 yards in 2024 and 35 yards in 2025, with no career touchdowns.
Many of these struggles have been attributed to Heupel’s veer-and-shoot offense, which he runs at Tennessee. It involves wide splits, a heavy tempo, and limited route trees. Preferences are given to speedy receivers running limited, mainly vertical routes. This does not always translate to the NFL, where players need a much more varied route tree.
But the problem faced by many other former Volunteers' receivers may not apply to the Panthers’ new weapon. Before transferring to Tennessee, Brazzell spent two seasons with the Tulane Green Wave. After redshirting his freshman season, he was voted 3rd team All-AAC and Freshman All-America honorable mention.
We also saw a difference in the routes Brazzell ran in the Tennessee offense in 2025, signaling a potential shift away from Heupel’s regular system. This, coupled with his experience in a West Coast offense run by Slade Nagel, could give him an advantage compared to other former Tennessee receivers.
With the likes of McMillan and Jalen Coker occupying the Panthers' top two wide receiver slots, it may be that in Year 1, Brazzell is not asked to fully showcase his route tree and focus on being a downfield threat for Young as he develops. But don't be surprised if the player distances himself from the stereotypes surrounding Tennessee receivers and displays his true talent.
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