A lifelong Panthers fan since third grade who led the SEC in receiving at Tennessee and got drafted by his childhood favorite team.
Chris Brazzell II grew up rooting for Carolina, and the Panthers made that connection official by taking him in the third round out of Tennessee. After starting his career at Tulane, he broke out as a downfield threat for the Volunteers and enters the league with a football bloodline behind him.
Path to the league
Brazzell began his college career at Tulane, catching 44 passes for 711 yards in 2023, before transferring to Tennessee. The Panthers drafted him in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the 83rd overall pick, a franchise he has followed since childhood.
Career highlights
Brazzell is the son of Chris Brazzell Sr., a sixth-round pick of the New York Jets who went on to play nine seasons across the NFL and CFL, and he is a great-nephew of NBA Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy. Across 40 college games at Tulane and Tennessee, he caught 136 passes for 2,072 yards and 16 touchdowns.
2025 season recap
In his final season at Tennessee, Brazzell led the SEC in receiving with 62 catches for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns, earning first-team All-SEC honors and cementing himself as one of the draft's top vertical route-runners.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Chris Brazzell II
- Carolina Panthers: With the No. 83 overall pick, the Panthers take Tennessee receiver Chris Brazzell II
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- injuredReserveOrOut
- College
- Tennessee
- Hometown
- Midland, TX, USA
- Age
- 22
- Status
- day-to-day
