Why the Bucs Should Draft Chris Brazzell Following Mike Evans' Departure

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans are still finding it difficult to deal with the fact that Mike Evans won't be in the red and pewter to finish out his career after deciding he would have a better chance of winning his second Lombardi Trophy in San Francisco with the 49ers over Tampa Bay.

Evans' exit in free agency was reportedly "awkward" over the final days, but general manager Jason Licht has tried to calm the seas when it comes to what actually transpired between the organization and Evans.

While the Bucs have built a strong, technically sound wide receiver room with Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson, they now lack that alpha X wide receiver with size and verticality that Evans was able to bring for over a decade.

The Buccaneers haven't decided to add to the wide receiver room in free agency, and they might not at all, even with the 2026 NFL Draft coming up in April. However, we're here to tell you that they should at least think about adding a player of Evans' abilities by selecting Tennessee Volunteers standout receiver Chris Brazzell II.

Bucs Could Get Evans' Replacement in Brazzell

Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell II (17) | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the void open for the Bucs to get an X receiver, Brazzell would make almost too much sense. Standing at 6-4 and 200 pounds, Brazzell offers much of the same that Evans was able to provide the offense.

After beginning his collegiate career at Tulane, Brazzell transferred to Tennessee during his redshirt sophomore season and exploded in 2025 for the Vols. In 2025, Brazzell led the team with 1,017 receiving yards on 62 catches (16.4 YPC) with nine touchdowns over 12 games, showing why he should be one of the top wideouts in the NFL Draft.

The game began to slow down for Brazzell, which showed in his last season with the Volunteers. Brazzell has sneaky speed, much like Evans, and he's adept at using his length and body control to play above the rim on cornerbacks to create space and separation.

Brazzell is far from a finished product despite being a more competent route runner than most vertical threats, but he will absolutely need to add more weight and muscle, become more physical and learn how to beat more press-man coverage as he will likely be tested with that early on in his NFL career.

Evans immediately comes to mind when you watch Brazzell, and all of his intangibles seem to fall right in line with what the Bucs have gotten out of Evans. Brazzell would not have to immediately replace the production Evans left, given the amount of talent the Bucs have in that area, but being able to draw doubles while being an explosive play threat, especially in the red zone, should be enough for the offense to bounce back from a porous showing in 2025.

While Brazzell can be seen as the perfect replacement for Evans, it will come down to what the Bucs' plans are with their first few picks. There are greater needs elsewhere, and with Brazzell starting to move up draft boards, we could see him go anywhere from the middle of the first round to an early second rounder. If the Bucs are serious about replacing or finding the next Mike Evans, Brazzell could be that answer. It will just depend on how things fall for them and how willing they are to take another offensive weapon that early in the draft.

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