After producing 17 NFL Draft picks during the Josh Heupel era at Tennessee, it looks like the Vols are set to add multiple more players to that list when the event rolls around next spring in Green Bay. Those 17 players include two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and five third-round picks, and Tennessee looks poised for at least one more first-round pick in the next few months.
In December, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. posted his NFL Draft big board rankings, which highlighted the Top 10 players at each position heading into the draft. The ESPN draft expert updated his list on Friday, but there wasn’t too much movement among the Vols’ notable eligible players.
For one, Kiper still has Tennessee cornerback as his No. 13 prospect and top-ranked cornerback in the draft cycle. Kiper notes that while McCoy did not end up recording a snap for the Vols this season as he recovered from an ACL tear last January, “his on-the-ball production will get Day 1 interest.”
Additionally, ESPN’s Matt Miller recently put out an article noting the draft prospects at each position that earned a first-round grade based on their play in 2025. McCoy obviously didn’t appear in the cornerbacks section without any in-game reps, but he still did get a mention from the ESPN analyst.
“McCoy’s six interceptions the previous two seasons show his ball skills and instincts, but questions remain about his pro readiness after missing a season,” Miller wrote. “There will be some rust that NFL teams must be comfortable with if they are going to use an early pick on him.”
The only Tennessee player who moved in Kiper’s big board rankings was cornerback Colton Hood, who dropped from the No. 6 cornerback to No. 7 cornerback on his list. ESPN’s Field Yates tagged Hood as a first-round mock pick in a December preview, though.
“Hood has some areas to clean up with his technique, but there’s an infectious energy that you see every time you watch him play,” Yates writes. “He posted 10 pass breakups this season — his first with Tennessee after spending one season at Colorado and his freshman year at Auburn. Hood loves the challenge of man coverage and can be an aggressive player in run support.”
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Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell is on his way to the NFL Draft and didn’t play in last week’s Music City Bowl loss to Illinois in Nashville. Brazzell is Kiper’s seventh-ranked wide receiver in the class after leading the SEC in both yards (1,017) and touchdowns (9) this past season. The 6-foot-5 playmaker emerged as a big-time deep threat in his breakout year for the Vols.
Tennessee has churned out some productive EDGE rushers in recent years with Byron Young and James Pearce Jr., and Joshua Josephs could be the next to fall in that category. Kiper has Josephs listed as the seventh-ranked outside linebacker in his rankings after a four-sack season this past year. Josephs was statistically better earlier in the year than late, but he has shown many of the traits that scouts and coaches are looking for at the next level.
The last player Tennessee player that Kiper has written down is tight end Miles Kitselman, who didn’t make the Top 10 tight end rankings but is listed in the “just missed the cut” category. Kitselman didn’t play in Tennessee’s final three regular-season games with an injury, but he did return for one last hoorah with the Vols in the Music City Bowl. He had one catch for three yards in that game, upping his final season total to 253 yards and two touchdowns on 26 receptions.
The 2026 NFL Draft will take place from Thursday, Apr. 23, to Saturday, Apr. 25, in Green Bay. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more NFL Draft news as the college football season winds down and the draft season begins to heat up.
