Panthers head coach Dave Canales makes it clear how he feels about his general manager drafting former Vols WR Chris Brazzell
Former Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Chris Brazzell was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Brazzell spent the last two seasons at Tennessee.
The Carolina Panthers selected former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Chris Brazzell in the third round (No. 83 overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Brazzell, who started his career at Tulane, caught 62 passes for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns last season.
The 6-foot-5 wide receiver ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds at the NFL scouting combine earlier this year. He’s the type of wide receiver that’s a threat to score any time the ball is thrown his way.
So why was a player this talented available in the third round?
There are two reasons. One is because he played in Tennessee’s offense, which has failed to produce a productive NFL receiver under head coach Josh Heupel. The other is because of maturity concerns (even though there’s no real evidence of any maturity issues with Brazzell).
Panthers head coach Dave Canales is a huge fan of Chris Brazzell
One person who isn’t buying into the “concerns” about Brazzell is Panthers head coach Dave Canales.
Canales made it clear Friday night that he’s a big fan of Brazzell, telling reporters that the former Vol was one of his favorite players in the draft.
“Chris, he’s one of my favorite players in the draft,” said Canales. “Just his film over the last two years. When you look at Tulane, and then you look at Tennessee and you kind of combine all of it, you’re going to get a full picture of a route tree and body control.
“And, of course, just the ability to stretch the field and really put stress on teams from a vertical standpoint. We weren’t expecting Chris to be there. We’re sitting there waiting, and he just kept dropping right to us. What a great opportunity for us to just add to that room.”
It’s always best for a player to land with a team that really wants them. And it certainly sounds like the Panthers really wanted Brazzell.