HC Dave Canales gushes over speedy WR Panthers drafted in Round 3

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales seems ready to rev up his newest weapon.

On Friday night, the Panthers selected University of Tennessee wideout Chris Brazzell II with the 83rd overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-4, 198-pound brings with him a startling dose of speed, an element Carolina's offense has lacked in its receiver room for quite some time.

So you'll have to excuse Canales if he's a little excited over Brazzell, who he called one of his favorite players from the entire draft.

"His film over the last two years—when you look at Tulane and then you look at Tennessee and you kinda combine all of it, you're gonna get a full picture of a route tree, of body control, ability to do those things," Canales told reporters after the third round. "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. And we're sitting there waiting, and he just kept dropping right to us. And what a great opportunity for us to just, again, just add to that room—just another element, another dimension and create a competitive roster."

Brazzell should certainly have a chance to compete for a role in that room, one that has struggled to create explosives through the air. The Panthers, despite capturing their first NFC South title in a decade, finished 27th in total offense and 26th in passing offense this past season.

Over his four seasons between Tulane and Tennessee, Brazzell averaged 15.2 yards per reception while taking home a third-team All-AAC nod in 2023 and a first-team All-SEC nod in 2025. He then backed up those numbers by running a blazing 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the 2026 scouting combine.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Panthers HC Dave Canales gushes over WR Chris Brazzell