With less than a week until the start of the 2026 NFL Draft, we’re highlighting two recent publications from ESPN to get a good look at the top three NFL hopefuls from the Tennessee Volunteers football program. There’s no telling where exactly each of them will land next weekend in Pittsburgh due to the natural volatility of the draft, but there are certainly high remarks and expectations for each of them.
We’ll be talking about where Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood, cornerback Jermod McCoy, and wide receiver Chris Brazzell land in Mel Kiper Jr.’s final two-round mock draft and Jeff Legwold’s Top 100 prospects list. Both analysts are staying in their own lane, with Kiper projecting where the three players will go and Legwold simply just listing where they rank in terms of overall draft prospects.
The highest player on both lists is McCoy, with Kiper projecting him to go 24th overall to the Cleveland Browns and Legwold tagging him as the No. 11 prospect in the class.
“McCoy missed the entire 2025 season with an ACL tear, so NFL medical staffs will have substantial input about where he’ll ultimately be drafted,” Legwold writes. “But his work in 2024 was first-round-worthy. As a prep athlete, McCoy was a Texas state champion in both long jump and triple jump, as well as an all-state baseball player. That full-body athleticism and movement shows up in his play. He had six interceptions and 16 pass breakups in 25 career games.”
McCoy finished the Vols’ 2024 season with 44 tackles, 26 solo tackles, seven passes defended, and four interceptions.
The second Tennessee player on Kiper’s mock draft and Legwold’s big board is Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood. Kiper has Hood going 29th overall to the Kansas City Chiefs, while Legwold has him as the No. 23 overall player in the class. Hood put together a strong season in Knoxville during his lone year with the Vols, but has really elevated his status through solid showings at the Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine, and the Tennessee Pro Day.
“There were moments when Hood flashed as the best player on the field during Senior Bowl workouts, and defensive back coaches who prefer physical, matchup press cornerbacks will favor his style,” Legwold writes. “Hood played at three schools in three seasons — Auburn, Colorado and Tennessee — and scored touchdowns on both an interception and fumble recovery in 2025.”
Hood finished the Vols’ 2025 season with 50 total tackles, 34 solo tackles, eight passes defended, one interception (pick-six), and one fumble recovery (TD).
More From RTI: Why Mel Kiper Jr. Thinks Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell Will Outperform His Draft Slot
The third Tennessee player to note is wide receiver Chris Brazzell, who had a true breakout season with the Volunteers last year. Brazzell also helped his case by putting together an ultra-impressive 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine last month. Brazzell has been widely viewed as a late-second or third-round pick.
Kiper has Brazzell going 63rd overall to the Super Bowl runner-up New England Patriots, while Legwold has him as the No. 38 overall prospect in the class.
“Brazzell is one of the best contested-catch receivers on the board and has big-play potential in every route he runs,” Legwold writes. “He was one of two FBS receivers last season with at least 14 air yards per target (14.34) who also had at least nine touchdown catches. He had just two drops in 2025.”
Brazzell finished his 2025 season with 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns on 62 total catches. He posted career highs in all three categories last season.
Kiper doesn’t have any other former Vols listed in his two-round mock draft, but Legwold does have one more Tennessee player to mention. He’s tagged Tennessee EDGE rusher Joshua Josephs as the No. 80 overall prospect in the class.
“Josephs has a frame that includes an 83⅞-inch wingspan — which makes him a tough task for opposing tackles,” Legwold writes. “If he can put in a little work to expand his rush portfolio, most notably developing a counter or two against more powerful tackles, his best football is ahead.”
The 2026 NFL Draft will begin this Thursday night and run through Saturday afternoon. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for full Tennessee coverage of the event.
