Vols in the NFL Draft: Where National Mock Drafts Project Tennessee’s Top Prospects
Image: Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics
By Aidan Sidoti
The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday night in Pittsburgh, with the Las Vegas Raiders holding the No. 1 pick and widely expected to select Indiana quarterback and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza after leading the Hoosiers to their first National Championship.
Tennessee is expected to have a strong presence throughout the weekend, with as many as two Vols projected to hear their names called in the first round and several more expected to come off the board in the middle and late rounds. National analysts are releasing their final mock drafts showing where they believe Tennessee’s top prospects may land.
Here’s where the major outlets project the former Vols.
Jordan Reid 7‑round (ESPN)
No. 15 Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Jermod McCoy
No. 29 Kansas City Chiefs CB Colton Hood
No. 88 Jacksonville Jaguars EDGE Joshua Josephs
No. 91 Buffalo Bills WR Chris Brazzell II
No. 180 Dallas Cowboys DT Bryson Eason
Mel Kiper Jr. 2‑round (ESPN)
No. 24 Cleveland Browns CB Jermod McCoy
No. 29 Kansas City Chiefs CB Colton Hood
No. 63 New England Patriots WR Chris Brazzell II
Dane Brugler 7‑round (The Athletic)
No. 18 Minnesota Vikings CB Jermod McCoy
No. 32 Seattle Seahawks CB Colton Hood
No. 78 Indianapolis Colts WR Chris Brazzell II
No. 110 Cincinnati Bengals EDGE Joshua Josephs
No. 228 New York Jets DT Tyre West
No. 246 Denver Broncos DT Bryson Eason
Chad Reuter 7‑round (NFL.com)
No. 18 Minnesota Vikings CB Colton Hood
No. 22 Kansas City Chiefs (via LAC) CB Jermod McCoy
No. 105 New York Giants WR Chris Brazzell II
No. 126 Buffalo Bills EDGE Joshua Josephs
No. 236 Green Bay Packers QB Joey Aguilar
No. 239 Chicago Bears DT Bryson Eason
Mike Renner 3‑round (CBS Sports)
No. 19 Carolina Panthers CB Jermod McCoy
No. 32 Seattle Seahawks CB Colton Hood
No. 83 Carolina Panthers Chris Brazzell II
Across the board, cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood headline Tennessee’s class, with both appearing consistently in the first round of mock drafts. Wide receiver Chris Brazzell II and edge rusher Joshua Josephs are viewed as Day 2 or early Day 3 selections, while defensive tackles Bryson Eason and Tyre West, along with quarterback Joey Aguilar round out the Vols hoping to hear their names called on Day 3.
