Even though he hasn’t played a snap this year, Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy is still widely considered a first-round prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s been in the Top 32 picks since early mock drafts began last spring and still continues to hold a strong spot as he recovers from an ACL injury that occurred in January.
The latest mock draft from CBS Sports’ Mike Renner has McCoy posted as the 11th overall draft pick to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Renner says that despite not returning to the field just yet, his tape from the 2024 season was impressive enough to justify his spot just outside of the Top 10 in his projections.
For a long time, McCoy was Tennessee’s lone first-round projection. He now has some Big Orange company alongside him.
After bursting out of the gates as McCoy’s replacement through the first four games, Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood is now a first-round candidate. Renner has Hood projected at No. 16 in the draft to the Cleveland Browns, where he would join a team that already has two VFLs in Dylan Sampson and Cedric Tillman.
Renner is extremely high on the former Colorado transfer.
“If Jermod McCoy ever gets back healthy this season, the Vols will undoubtedly have the best cornerback duo in college football,” Renner writes in his mock draft. “That’s because Hood has emerged after transferring from Colorado as a lockdown cornerback in his own right. Through four games this season, Hood has allowed four catches on 17 targets for only 32 yards. With both Greg Newsome II and Martin Emerson hitting free agency, Hood would fill a need.”
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Hood was expected to be a strong contributor to Tennessee’s secondary when he transferred in, especially considering McCoy’s recovery, but he has exceeded all expectations through the first third of the season. The six-foot cornerback has established himself as a shutdown No. 1 cornerback and a scary good defender heading into the bulk of the SEC slate this fall.
Hood is listed as the third-best defensive back in Renner’s mock draft, only trailing Ohio State safety Caleb Downs (No. 6 to the New York Giants) and Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy (No. 11 to the Cincinnati Bengals).
Hood made an immediate impression during Tennessee’s season-opener against Syracuse. He tallied four tackles and returned a scoop-and-score fumble to the house for six points. In the Vols’ overtime loss to Georgia, Hood graded out as Tennessee’s second-highest defensive back behind safety Kaleb Beasley. Although Beasley only played 20 snaps, Hood played 94.
Through four games this season, Hood has 13 tackles and one forced fumble. He’s been great in coverage and has proven to be a menace for opposing wide receivers. If he continues the play that he has shown at the beginning of the season, Hood could continue shooting up NFL mock draft boards leading into the 2026 draft.
The NFL Draft will take place on Thursday, April 23, 2026. It will be held in Pittsburgh.
Check out Mike Renner’s full NFL mock draft for CBS Sports here.
