With the NFL Combine officially in the rear-view mirror, the road to the NFL Draft this spring is officially being kicked into high gear. We’ve still got Pro Days at all the major programs coming up within the coming weeks, but the draft is drawing closer by the day as excitement begins to build.
Coming out of last week’s combine event, ESPN’s Jordan Reid put out a new two-round mock draft on Tuesday morning. He’s got three former Volunteers landing in the first two rounds, with two players coming in the first 32 picks.
The first former Tennessee player off the board is cornerback Jermod McCoy, who appears to be falling down the draft boards after not participating in on-field workouts in Indianapolis. McCoy did tell reporters that he plans on going through drills during his Tennessee Pro Day at the end of the month, wanting to make sure he’s putting his best self in front of the scouts.
Reid has McCoy going 29th overall to the Los Angeles Rams. Prior to the combine, McCoy had been widely tagged in the 10-15 range of various mock drafts around the industry. The Rams are a team that is reportedly looking for help in the secondary, so it’s no real surprise to see the two sides linked in this mock draft.
“If we’re going strictly by talent, McCoy is a top-10 prospect in this class,” Reid writes. “But he hasn’t played a game since 2024, missing all of last season after suffering an ACL tear in January 2025. We’re still not sure where he’s at in his recovery, as he did not participate in testing or drills at the combine. This gives the Rams — who haven’t drafted a corner in the first round since 2006 or before Day 3 since 2019 — the potential to get a steal here. McCoy is an easy mover who has squeaky-clean technique.”
McCoy’s Pro Day workouts could push him back up and into the top half of the first round. Ultimately, though, it’s a big unknown. Until he proves it on the field, there are still going to be question marks around McCoy’s status.
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Coming in just a few spots later as the final pick of the first round is position teammate Colton Hood. Reid has the Tennessee cornerback going No. 32 overall to the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
“The reigning champions have a clear need at corner, as Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen are both scheduled to be free agents,” Reid writes. “Hood is a scheme-versatile player who can thrive in press man while also having the fluidity to excel in zone. A former all-state center fielder in high school, Hood’s ball skills frequently show up on tape (10 pass breakups and an interception last season). With his poised technique and wrap-up-and-finish tackling, he would fit well on the outside of Mike Macdonald’s secondary.”
Hood has been one of the breakout players of the offseason draft cycle, boosting up draft boards after a stellar showing at the Senior Bowl last month and a strong showing during the combine last week. The uncertainty surrounding McCoy has been a good thing for Hood’s status, bumping him into more relevant conversations throughout the last handful of weeks.
The final name on Reid’s list from Tennessee was one of the standouts from the weekend workouts. Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell didn’t participate in the on-field catching drills, but he blew people away with a 4.37 40-yard dash. Reid believes that Brazzell’s speed and size could work well with one of the top power quarterbacks in the league, picking him to go No. 60 overall to the Buffalo Bills.
“The Bills need someone who can separate on the outside, and Brazzell is an ‘X’ receiver who can be a deep vertical threat,” Reid writes. “He can also sink his weight and run a true route tree, making him a good fit with quarterback Josh Allen.”
If this mock draft were to come to fruition, it would be the first time that Tennessee has had two first-round picks and three players in the Top 60 overall during the Josh Heupel era in Knoxville.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Football NFL Draft coverage.
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