An NFL scout has revealed a rather polarizing take on a Carolina Panthers draft pick.
The Carolina Panthers addressed their receiving corps on Day 2 of the NFL Draft last week, selecting Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Chris Brazzell in the third round.
Brazzell is certainly in an intriguing prospect because of his tremendous size and blazing speed, but he faces one major problem: he played at Tennessee.
In recent years, Volunteers receivers have not translated all that well into the NFL. Look no further than Jalin Hyatt, Cedric Tillman and Dont'e Thornton.
For that reason, there is some concern surrounding Brazzell, and one league scout touched on that subject in a rather polarizing take.
"He's fast and big, but those Tennessee receivers have had trouble making it in the league," an AFC scout told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "He does have some route-running ability, though. He could become an exception."
So does the scout like Brazzell ... or does he not?
Brazzell hauled in 62 receptions for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns in 2025, averaging a hefty 16.4 yards per catch. Clearly, production wasn't an issue for him.
Chris Brazzell. Credit: USA TODAY Network.But it wasn't a problem for Hyatt or Tillman, either, both of whom posted 1,000-yard campaigns in college before falling flat on the professional level.
Then there's Thornton, who averaged a ridiculous 25.4 yards per catch during his final season at Tennessee before managing just 10 catches for 135 yards during his rookie year with the Las Vegas Raiders.
While none of that necessarily means Brazzell will follow a similar path and while history doesn't always repeat itself, it's typically a pretty good indicator of the future.
Brazzell certainly seems to be the most talented wide out of that group, but remember: a whole lot of people thought Hyatt would be a stud when the New York Giants drafted him several years ago.
All thing considered, we will have to be in wait-and-see mode with Brazzell, who will be joining a Panthers wide receiver room that already includes Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette, all of whom are 6-foot-3 or taller.
Brazzell stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 200 pounds, so there is no question that he possesses the archetype you would want out of an NFL receiver. We just have to see if he will actually be able to produce.
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