In late April, Tennessee football had multiple defenders from its 2025 team have their dreams become a reality. Cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood, edge rusher Joshua Josephs and defensive lineman Tyre West all heard their names called as 2026 NFL Draft picks.
Now, FanDuel is putting out betting odds for who will shine the brightest in this rookie class. The former Vol defender with the best odds to win AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year is Hood with the New York Giants at +5000. The recent second-round pick is tied for the 15th-best mark in the league.
It’s fellow UT cornerback McCoy with the next best odds. The Las Vegas Raiders’ fourth-round pick has +7500 odds to win the award. This is tied for the 22nd-best mark. His odds may be some of the most intriguing in the league, as well. He is widely considered a prospect with the talents of a first-round pick, but his injury concerns led him to fall.
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If you continue down the list, Washington Commanders edge rusher and fifth-round selection Josephs checks in at +12500. This is tied for the 47th-best odds to win.
West, a versatile lineman picked by the Lions in the seventh round, is not listed with odds. Other Vol defenders who signed as undrafted free agents, such as Bryson Eason, Dominic Bailey and more, also do not have odds.
The favorite to win the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award is a tie between Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr., who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Texas Tech’s David Bailey, who was drafted by the New York Jets, at +500. The remainder of the top five are Arvell Reese (+750), Caleb Downs (+850) and Mansoor Delane (+850).
