With the college football season officially in the books, the NFL Draft spotlight is heating up - and Tennessee is right in the thick of the conversation. As the Senior Bowl gets underway in Mobile, Alabama, scouts are zeroing in on prospects, mock drafts are flooding the timeline, and player evaluations are shifting by the day. For the Volunteers, three names are generating serious buzz - and all three have legitimate first-round potential.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah just dropped his first Top 50 prospects list for the 2026 NFL Draft, and Tennessee fans have plenty to smile about. Cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood, along with wide receiver Chris Brazzell, all cracked the list, with McCoy and Hood landing inside the top 20.
Let’s start with McCoy, who comes in at No. 14 overall. Despite missing the entire 2025 season after tearing his ACL in January, McCoy remains firmly entrenched in first-round territory.
Not a single major mock draft has dropped him out of the top 32 - a testament to both his pre-injury tape and his projected recovery timeline. The injury is a talking point, sure, but it doesn’t appear to be a deal-breaker for NFL evaluators.
Jeremiah’s breakdown of McCoy paints the picture of a polished, instinctive corner who thrives in press coverage. He’s got the footwork and balance to mirror receivers off the line, and he’s not just sticking close - he’s baiting quarterbacks in zone, setting traps, and making plays on the ball.
His vertical ability and ball skills stand out, but there are questions about his physicality in the run game. He’s a willing tackler in space, but he doesn’t exactly bring the hammer in the box.
Still, when it comes to covering receivers - the bread and butter of a modern corner - McCoy checks a lot of boxes.
He’s widely viewed as one of the top two corners in this draft class, battling LSU’s Mansoor Delane for that CB1 title. And with the 2026 cornerback group lacking depth overall, that opens the door for another Volunteer to rise - enter Colton Hood.
Hood, ranked No. 16 by Jeremiah, has been one of the fastest risers in the draft process. A transfer from Colorado, Hood only spent one season in Knoxville, but he made it count.
After Rickey Gibson III went down in the opener, Hood stepped into the top corner role and didn’t flinch. He faced some of the SEC’s best receivers week in and week out - and gave up just one touchdown in coverage all season.
Jeremiah describes Hood as a player who consistently puts himself in position downfield, with the awareness to find the ball and the physicality to compete. He can get grabby at times when the ball’s in the air, but that’s a coachable trait.
What stands out is his willingness to mix it up in the run game - he’ll fight through blocks and make tackles in space. He’s not just a cover guy; he’s a complete corner who could step in and start right away at the next level.
Then there’s Chris Brazzell, Tennessee’s towering wide receiver who lands at No. 44 on Jeremiah’s list. Brazzell had a breakout year in 2025, thriving in Tennessee’s retooled passing attack.
He racked up over 1,000 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, including a monster 177-yard performance against Georgia. At 6-foot-5, Brazzell consistently used his size to win in contested catch situations and stretch the field vertically.
Jeremiah sees him as a long-striding, gliding route runner who does his best work on go routes, slants, and posts. He’s not the twitchiest receiver, and he doesn’t offer much after the catch in terms of elusiveness, but he tracks the ball well and knows how to use his frame to box out defenders. He’s the kind of red zone weapon and deep threat that can flip the field in a hurry - a vertical target built for chunk plays.
In Jeremiah’s first mock draft, McCoy is projected to go 10th overall to the Bengals, with Hood following closely behind at No. 12 to the Cowboys. Brazzell didn’t crack the first round in this particular mock, but he’s already been given a first-round nod in other projections. The buzz is real.
There’s a real chance Tennessee could end up with three first-rounders this spring - a testament to both the development happening in Knoxville and the individual talent of these prospects. As the pre-draft process unfolds, all eyes will be on Mobile, the Combine, and pro days to see how these Vols continue to rise.
One thing’s for sure: Tennessee is making its presence felt on the NFL Draft stage.