INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 24: Chris Brazzell II #WO10 of Tennessee speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images) | Getty Images
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 24: Chris Brazzell II #WO10 of Tennessee speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ian Rapoport reported the San Francisco 49ers have another 30-visit. This one is with former Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell. The 6â4âł wideout ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and had a 92nd percentile wingspan.
The 4-year junior is listed at No. 51 on the consensus big board. Heâs projected to go in the 2nd round. However, some services, like Sports Info Solutions, have Brazzell 20th overall.
Former Volunteer wide receivers have shown that they were a projection coming into the NFL. Tennessee doesnât exactly run what youâd call a pro-style offense. Head coach Josh Heupel really leans into the hash marks in college, extreme wide receiver splits, and maximizes spacing to create simple reads and picks, which, in turn, creates artificial separation on vertical stems.
In Brazzellâs defense, heâs undoubtedly the best version to come out of this offense. The 22-year-old caught 62 of his 91 targets last season for 1,017 yards. Of those, 745 were air yards, for 9 touchdowns. He wasnât nearly as successful during his first season with the Vols, where Brazzell only caught 47 percent of his targets for 334 yards.
The bloodline is there, as Brazzellâs dad played in the NFL. So you have the pedigree and the athletic traits to bank on.
Brazell only had two drops this past season and caught 89 percent of his on-target throws. Brazzell catches the ball well, away from his body, and has shown the ability to hold on through contact. Itâs no surprise that he was a downfield threat in that offense, with 32 percent of Brazzellâs routes taking place down the field.
Brazzell plays as fast as he ran at the NFL Combine. He chews up ground in a hurry. He also does a good job of adjusting to passes that arenât on target, as well as tracking the flight of the ball and putting himself in a position to make a play on 50/50 balls down the field.
Iâd say Brazzellâs biggest issues are before the ball gets into his hands. While he can run away with defenders without a problem, there are too many exposures of Brazzell running into contact or getting hung up at some point in his route due to physicality.
What makes that bizarre is that Brazzell has multiple release packages in which he can win. Iâve seen him make a defensive back fall off the line of scrimmage. So there are ways he can win or avoid contact. Brazzellâs faults being coachable, or being able to scheme around, are likely what make him an attractive candidate to Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers.
Heâs big, can run, is impressive off the line of scrimmage, and can make the spectacular catch down the field. Brazzell would be a big-play threat in Shanahanâs offense.
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