Following their trade of Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Green Bay Packers have a need for depth and long-term options at the wide receiver position. Wicks was one of several players with contracts expiring after this season, but the Packers were able to get draft pick compensation for this year (and next) by moving him.
However, that leaves the receiver position as one where the team could use some help, both for the short and long terms. As a result, the Packers’ interest in the position in the 2026
NFL Draft is ramping up a bit, with the team bringing in a potential top-60 pick in for a pre-draft visit.
According to Ian Rapoport, Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell II is visiting the Packers this week in the midst of a busy visit schedule.
Brazzell, who is currently ranked 54th on the consensus draft board, is a tall, lanky deep threat who had a breakout season for the Volunteers in 2025. In his second season in Knoxville, Brazzell set career highs in every receiving category, posting 62 receptions, 1,017 yards, a 16.4 yards per catch average, and nine touchdowns. He also had a career game against Tennessee’s best competition in the fall, going off for six catches, 177 yards, and three touchdowns in a 44-41 overtime loss to Georgia.
In 2024, Brazzell contributed 29 receptions and 335 yards as part of a large receiving group that included Dont’e Thornton, a 4th-round pick last season by the Raiders. Prior to his two years at Tennessee, Brazzell started his college career at Tulane, redshirting in 2022 (when the Green Wave went 12-2 and beat USC in the Cotton Bowl) before earning a starting job in 2023. He was Tulane’s leading receiver that year, catching 44 passes for 711 yards and five scores from quarterback Michael Pratt, who would be a 7th-round draft pick by the Packers in 2024.
Brazzell’s most impressive physical trait is his pure speed. The only drill he performed at the 2026 NFL Combine was the 40-yard dash, but he posted an exceptional time of 4.37 seconds while turning in a 1.52-second time in the first ten yards — an truly impressive initial burst. He did that at an impressive size of 6-foot-4 and 198 pounds, making him a true big-play threat.
Despite Tennessee’s odd offensive scheme, Brazzell’s tape does show some decent route running skills, something that has been lacking from many highly-rated Volunteers receivers in recent years. To that end, here’s a snippet of his draft profile from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, which notably lists Christian Watson as his NFL comparison:
He’s adept at using length and body control to capture air space against cornerbacks. He’s a more competent route runner than most field-stretcher types, but he needs to become more physical on contested targets underneath.
Although Brazzell is currently ranked in the mid-50s on the consensus draft board and has been listed in the late first round on a handful of mock drafts, Zierlein projects him as a third-round pick, while Dane Brugler of The Athletic puts him as a borderline 3rd/4th-rounder. In either case, he is now another addition to the Packers’ list of visitors who could be potential day-two picks, joining Ted Hurst as possible top-100 wide receivers.
