The 2026 NFL Draft is right around the corner, with the event slated to take place this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in Pittsburgh, PA. Tennessee has sent 17 players to the league during the Josh Heupel era and will undoubtedly add to that number this weekend.
The most players that Tennessee has sent to the NFL through the draft in the last four seasons is five, which has happened in both the 2022 NFL Draft and 2023 NFL Draft. There’s a good chance that Tennessee will tie that record this weekend, and there’s even a chance that the Vols could break that record.
One of the fringe players who will determine whether Tennessee breaks the mark or not is quarterback Joey Aguilar. The former App State quarterback spent one year in Knoxville, but made it a memorable one by leading the SEC in passing yards. Aguilar hasn’t been on many mock drafts in the months leading up to the draft, but he did sneak his way into one from NFL.com’s Chad Reuter this week.
Reuter has Aguilar going in the seventh round to one of the NFL’s oldest and most historic teams. He’s got Aguilar going to the Green Bay Packers with the 236th pick, only eight picks above the final selection of the draft.
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Aguilar transferred to Tennessee before the 2025 season and won the starting job during fall camp. His strong arm and gunslinger mentality helped Tennessee regain its downfield passing game as he threw for 3,565 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Aguilar threw for more than 200 passing yards in every game except the Music City Bowl, with four games above the 300-yard mark. He tossed for 371 yards against Georgia, 335 yards against Mississippi State, 396 yards against Kentucky, and 393 yards against Oklahoma.
Aguilar also ran the ball 71 times for 101 yards and four touchdowns during the season.
After the season, Aguilar revealed that he played through a late stretch of the season with an injury. He played with a benign tumor in his shoulder and addressed it with surgery after the season.
Despite still being in recovery, Aguilar did go through some passing drills during his pro day in Knoxville in March. He said that he “felt good” throwing the ball, but that he was still “super early” in his throwing rehab. Aguilar also said that he’ll be healthy by the time a team picks him up, whether it be through the draft or an undrafted free agent contract.
Reuter’s seven-round mock draft for NFL.com does have Tennessee breaking its own Josh Heupel era record with six selections this week in Pittsburgh. He’s got Colton Hood going 18th to the Minnesota Vikings, Jermod McCoy going 22nd to the Kansas City Chiefs, Chris Brazzell going 105th to the New York Giants, Joshua Josephs going 126th to the Buffalo Bills, Joey Aguilar going 236th to the Green Bay Packers, and Bryson Eason going 239th to the Chicago Bears.
Here’s a look at Tennessee Football’s previous NFL Draft history under Josh Heupel:
2022 NFL Draft (5)
- Round 2, Pick 49 – DB Alontae Taylor, New Orleans Saints
- Round 3, Pick 71 – WR Velus Jones Jr, Chicago Bears
- Round 5, Pick 175 – DT Matthew Butler, Las Vegas Raiders
- Round 6, Pick 199 – OG Cade Mays, Carolina Panthers
- Round 6, Pick 204 – DB Theo Jackson, Tennessee Titans
2023 NFL Draft (5)
- Round 1, Pick 10 – OT Darnell Wright, Chicago Bears
- Round 3, Pick 68 – QB Hendon Hooker, Detroit Lions
- Round 3, Pick 73 – WR Jalin Hyatt, New York Giants
- Round 3, Pick 74 – WR Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns
- Round 3, Pick 77 – DE Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams
2024 NFL Draft (3)
- Round 4, Pick 120 – RB Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins
- Round 6, Pick 193 – QB Joe Milton III, New England Patriots
- Round 6, Pick 211 – DB Kamal Hadden, Kansas City Chiefs
2025 NFL Draft (4)
- Round 1, Pick 26 – DE James Pearce Jr., Atlanta Falcons
- Round 2, Pick 63 – DT Omarr Norman-Lott, Kansas City Chiefs
- Round 4, Pick 108 – WR Dont’e Thornton, Las Vegas Raiders
- Round 4, Pick 126 – RB Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider throughout the week for complete coverage of Tennessee’s NFL Draft activity in Pittsburgh. The first round of the draft will commence on Thursday night, while the second and third rounds will take place on Friday night. The final four rounds of the draft will happen on Saturday afternoon.
