The question everyone was expecting is already popping up about Tennessee Vols WR Chris Brazzell ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft
Tennessee Vols wide receiver Chris Brazzell is hoping to be an early round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Tennessee Vols fans knew it was coming.
Around this time each year, questions pop up about whether wide receivers from Tennessee’s offense can run pro-style routes as the NFL Draft approaches.
And this year is no different.
NFL scouts reportedly want to see Chris Brazzell expand his route menu
On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler revealed his top 100 prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Brugler has Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell ranked at No. 46 after the Texas native caught 62 passes for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns for the Vols in 2026.
According to Brugler, who pointed out that Brazzell can get to top speed “in a hurry”, NFL scouts want to see Brazzell “expand his route menu”.
“Brazzell gets to top speed in a hurry, which allows him to stack corners on his hip and keep them there,” noted Brugler. “He can sink to smoothly get in and out of breaks, although scouts want to see him improve his consistency on intermediate routes and expand his route menu (48.7 percent of his routes in 2025 were either a hitch or a go).”
These questions are going to continue to pop up until a Tennessee wide receiver becomes a star in the NFL.
Tennessee has had four wide receivers from Josh Heupel’s offense drafted in the last four years — Velus Jones in 2022, Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman in 2023, and Dont’e Thornton in 2025.
So far, those four wide receivers have totaled 1,573 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns across a combined 11 NFL seasons (128 games played).
Not exactly great production (Tillman is responsible for the bulk of that production with 833 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns).
Ultimately, it’s on the player to perform once they get to the NFL. I’m a firm believer that elite wide receiver talent will eventually find its way.
But still, this criticism of Heupel’s offense will continue until Tennessee produces an offensive skill player who becomes an NFL star.
Maybe Brazzell will be that guy — he certainly has the physical talent — but he’s going to have to prove some doubters wrong.
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