Tennessee Vols wide receiver Chris Brazzell II has been getting a lot of good publicity lately. But that’s naturally going to happen when you’re 6-5, 200 pounds with the speed of a gazelle.

Brazzell wowed onlookers on Saturday at the NFL Combine. The VFL stepped to the 40-yard dash line and flew across the floor for a 4.37 40 time that placed him ninth among 34 wide receivers who ran, adding a top five 10-second split at 1.52 seconds.

It caught the attention of ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr., who had expected Brazzell to run a 40 in the 4.47 second range.

“Well, he ran a 4.37,” Kiper wrote. “At his 6-foot-4 size, that’s really something. I’ve been a fan of Brazzell throughout the process, and I had him in my first Round 1 mock draft in January. Scouts will start to take notice; it’s hard to find receivers with that body type who can run and move as he does.”

There are a couple of teams near the end of the first round who are in need of a big, playmaking wide receiver, but one in particular stands out — the Buffalo Bills.

That’s exactly who ESPN NFL draft analyst Jordan Reid has Brazzell joining in his post-Combine mock draft. However, he has the Bills taking Brazzell a round later, with the 61st overall pick in the second round.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid projects Chris Brazzell II to the Buffalo Bills, but not in the first round

“The Bills need someone who can separate on the outside, and Brazzell is an “X” receiver who can be a deep vertical threat,” Reid wrote. “He can also sink his weight and run a true route tree, making him a good fit with quarterback Josh Allen.”

Reid has the Bills taking Georgia linebacker CJ Allen with the 26th pick in the first round, and it’s not an unfair pick by any means. The Bills need to get better defensively, particularly against the run, where they gave up an NFL-worst 159.6 rushing yards per game. Allen projects as a strong inside linebacker for years to come, so that’s a logical fit.

That being said, at this point, it’s kind of tough to see 59 other teams pass on Brazzell after what he showed on Saturday from a speed standpoint to go with his tape and measurables. If he ends up catching passes from Josh Allen on Sundays, then the Bills, Brazzell, and Vol fans would all likely be thrilled, as Buffalo is a true Super Bowl contender.

But, unless Kiper and others who have been wowed by Brazzell are off base about his projection, it doesn’t seem like he’ll be on the board at the end of the second round when the Bills are back on the clock.

Tennessee Volunteers News

Vols head coach Josh Heupel confirms important aspect of Tennessee’s starting quarterback battle

The Tennessee Vols will feature a quarterback battle this spring and fall with Joey Aguilar moving on to the NFL.

Zach Ragan