We’ve already seen two Tennessee Football players off the board in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, and it might not take very long for another to join that list – or more.
After Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood went to the New York Giants in the second round and receiver Chris Brazzell went to the Carolina Panthers in the third round, ESPN’s NFL expert Jordan Reid is projecting two former Volunteers to go early in the fourth round on Saturday afternoon.
Reid projected the first ten picks of the fourth round on Saturday morning. He’s got Tennessee EDGE rusher Joshua Josephs going fourth in the fourth round to the Arizona Cardinals (No. 104) and cornerback Jermod McCoy going fifth in the fourth round to the Los Angeles Chargers (No. 105).
As far as the natural order of player prospects goes, it makes sense that Josephs’ time has almost come. He’s right in the range of where he’s been landing in pre-draft projections and the EDGE rushers have been flying off the board in the last few days. If you’re a team that wants to increase its pass-rushing depth, Josephs is probably the best option heading into the third and final day of the draft.
Josephs is coming off a senior season in which he produced 33 tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a touchdown in 11 games played.
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Then you get to the ever-unfortunate Jermod McCoy situation. The Tennessee cornerback has been plummeting down the draft board since the first round as conversations continue to rise from the media about his medical status. While McCoy missed the entire 2025 season recovering from an ACL injury, the media is reporting that there are still concerns about his knee moving forward.
At this point, there’s just no real indication of when McCoy will be taken. From a talent perspective, he should’ve been taken in the first 10 picks of the draft. But from a medical standpoint, there’s no telling when a team will be ready to take on the risk for a potential big return. Reid believes that it won’t take long for that to happen, but that was also said throughout the second and third rounds on Friday.
One potentially intriguing option for McCoy would be the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City already took LSU’s Mansoor Delane with the sixth overall pick, so it’s not like McCoy would be relied upon to be a definitive hit. If McCoy is cleared and good to go quickly, the Chiefs now have the two best corners in the draft. And if he’s not, then K.C. still has Delane being added to the secondary. Just something to watch.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for continued Tennessee Football NFL Draft coverage during the final day on Saturday.
