Carolina Panthers land Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell II in third round of NFL Draft
The Carolina Panthers upgraded their wide receiver depth chart Friday during the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
With the 83rd overall pick, Carolina selected Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell II. The 22-year-old playmaker aligns with offensive tackle Monroe Freeling and nose tackle Lee Hunter at the top of the team’s draft class.
Head coach Dave Canales, following Brazzell’s selection, called the wideout one of his favorite players in the entire draft.
“We weren’t expecting Chris to be there — we were sitting there waiting — and he just kept dropping right to us,” Canales said. “And just what a great opportunity for us to, again, just add to that room. Just another element, another dimension and create a competitive roster.”
Brazzell, listed as 6-foot-4 and 198 pounds, will join a positional depth chart that includes reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, Xavier Legette, John Metchie and Jimmy Horn Jr.
The Midland, Texas, native just finished a two-year tenure with the Vols after starting his college career at Tulane in 2022. During his four-year college career, he produced 136 catches for 2,072 yards (15.2 yards per catch) and 16 touchdowns.
At the NFL Scouting Combine in February, Brazzell ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash.
“Obviously, a big, long, linear receiver with a big catch radius,” GM Dan Morgan said about Brazzell. “Can adjust really well downfield — he’s got the speed to take the top off (the defense), take it the distance. So, another guy that, again, we’re extremely excited about.”
Brazzell is known as an outside speedster with long limbs and towering size. He is likely to compete with Legette and Coker for targets opposite McMillan this summer.
With Coker excelling in the slot and McMillan handling the X position, Legette and Brazzell could find themselves in a pretty notable camp competition, along with Metchie, Horn and Brycen Tremayne.
Brazzell’s speed-size combination could set him apart this summer.
The third-round pick is the fourth wide receiver drafted by the Panthers during the Morgan-Canales era. He joins McMillan, Legette and Horn as Carolina draft picks over the past three years.
Brazzell’s father, Chris, played two seasons with the New York Jets. A sixth-round pick in 1998, the elder Brazzell also spent seven seasons in the Canadian Football League, according to NFL.com.
Panthers’ draft picks:
First round: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia (19th overall)
Second round: Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech (49th overall via MIN)
Third round: Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee (83rd overall)
Fourth round (1): 119th overall
Fifth round (1): 158th overall (via MIN)
Sixth round (2): 196th overall (via MIN), 200th overall
This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 10:29 PM with the headline "Carolina Panthers land Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell II in third round of NFL Draft."
