Wide Receiver Chris Brazzell II Looked Raw

Immediately, I recognized the name.

That’s because Chris Brazzell II’s dad played with the Jets when I was there. So, when I saw Chris Brazell II show up as the No. 39-ranked prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft by NFL Mock Draft Database, I knew I needed to take a good, long look at him.

That meant going back and studying every snap he took during the 2024 season.

What did he look like on paper in 12 games?

Brazell had 29 receptions (62 targets) for 333 yards with two touchdowns.

He didn’t exactly light the world on fire.

Hold up…

Brazell had 29 receptions on 62 targets?

That’s a catch rate of only 46.8%.

Yep.

How did he look on game film in 12 games?

Just like that.

What’s the most important trait a wide receiver can have?

Hands.

There’s no question that Brazzell’s height is intriguing.

But, again, it’s about the hands.

Brazell is “best” working outside the numbers along the sidelines. He has good straight-line speed. He showed that he could consistently gain a step (or two) of deep vertical separation against the college cornerbacks he faced.

That’s positive.

And he made some of those deep catches.

That’s somewhat positive.

Brazzell also excels at comeback routes. Cornerbacks MUST honor the fact that he’s a legit deep threat. This allows him to drive them off the ball on comeback routes, where he can use his large frame to box them out and hopefully make the catch.

Bottom line, Brazzell is best working routes outside the numbers, where he can create space to make receptions. He also excels at working routes against zone coverage inside the numbers (zone coverage is when defenders are assigned to cover certain areas of the field).

What he doesn’t excel at is when he’s locked up in tight man-to-man coverage (a cornerback lines up on a receiver at the line of scrimmage pre-snap and is assigned to stick to him like glue). He doesn’t excel at making contested catches.

Brazzell isn’t a natural receiver. It doesn’t come easy for him.

Not an accomplished route runner either

Brazzell looked limited to “certain routes.”

Part of what hinders him on some of the more sophisticated routes is that he didn’t show the coveted burst of speed, and his change of direction was average. Not crisp.

More clues…

It didn’t look like the Volunteers viewed Brazzell as a superstar talent either. They shuffled him in and out of the lineup, and he wasn’t their “go-to” receiver.

I pay attention to stuff like that.

Then I dug a little deeper…

Brazzell wasn’t viewed as a big-time recruit either. He was a three-star recruit according to 247Sports.

What offers did he have coming out of high school?

Brazzell spent two years at Tulane, where he caught 45 passes (75 targets for a 60% catch rate) for 722 yards and five touchdowns before transferring to Tennessee.

Not a big-time recruit…

Didn’t rip it up at Tulane…

Declining college career catch rate...

Didn’t rip it up on the game film I studied…

#17 Chris Brazzell II 6-foot-5, 200 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Fall Grade: Fourth-Round (I wouldn’t select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a Second-Round prospect as of November 9, 2025

2024 game film evaluated: Chattanooga, NC State, Kent State, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Georgia, Vanderbilt, and Ohio State (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Unpolished prospect who contributes at all three route levels. Smooth strider. Drives hard off the snap. Inconsistent at creating route leverage. Long arms. Limited YAC threat. Solid catch radius. Confident, but hard hands. Decent target on short bubble screens. Sometimes works back to the ball at the intermediate route level. Glides. Good stop-and-go route. Showed slight straight-line acceleration. Below average spatial awareness and body control. Didn’t always look like he ended up where the catch point was designed to be. Clears out areas. Competitive blocker.

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. Catch rate?

2. How does he look vs. tight man coverage at the intermediate route level?

3. YAC?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.