ATLANTA, GA – August 30, 2025 – Wide receiver Chris Brazzell II #17 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the Aflac Kickoff game between the Syracuse Orange and the Tennessee Volunteers at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. Photo By Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics
With the college football season in the rear view mirror, NFL Draft coverage is starting to ramp up to full speed. The Senior Bowl is currently taking place in Mobile, AL, new mock drafts are seemingly coming out every day, and players are moving up and down the ladder as scouts and organizations get a good feel for the upcoming draft class.
Tennessee has a handful of players who are making it to the next level, but the Vols’ list is ultimately headlined by three players. The Vols have three players at or near the top of the class, with one highly-likely first-round pick, one probable first-round pick, and one potential first-round pick.
NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah released the first edition of his Top 50 NFL Draft prospects list on Tuesday, with three former Vols making the cut. Jeremiah has Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy at No. 14, Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood at No. 16, and Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell at No. 44 on his list.
While the injury is obviously the big talking point when it comes to McCoy, there hasn’t been a mock draft so far that has dared to take him out of the first round projections. Perhaps some sort of red flag comes up down the line, but for now, everyone’s got McCoy landing in the Top 32 picks of the draft next spring. McCoy missed the entire 2025 season after suffering an ACL tear in January 2025, but the injury took place so long ago that many analysts and experts believe that it won’t impact his draft stock much, if at all.
“He is at his best in press coverage, effectively landing his one-hand jam while maintaining balance to stay on the hip and mirror,” Jeremiah writes. “He is always under control with his movement. In zone coverage, he will set traps, knowing he can sink back and recover to make plays on the ball. His ability to elevate and play the ball is impressive. He is a capable tackler in space, but he lacks the physicality and effort to be a force player against the run.”
McCoy is widely viewed as one of the top two corners in the class, alongside LSU’s Mansoor Delane. If health is out of the question, it seems to be a pretty neck-and-neck race between the two SEC corners. That does set up Tennessee’s next prospect, though. With the 2026 corner class being referred to as fairly weak in numbers, there’s an opportunity for someone to jump up and force their way into the No. 3 cornerback conversation. Insert Colton Hood.
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Jeremiah has Hood just two spots below McCoy at No. 16 overall in the class. This ranking is very indicative of Hood’s rise up the draft boards over the last month. Coming out of the regular season, no one was publicly listing him anywhere this high overall.
Hood spent one season at Tennessee after transferring in from Colorado. He was elevated to the top cornerback position after teammate Rickey Gibson III suffered a season-ending injury in the opener, and Hood flourished with the role. He was constantly matched up with some of the SEC’s top wideouts during the season and held his ground, only allowing one touchdown in coverage across the season.
“Hood is consistently in position down the field — he can locate and play the ball — but will get grabby at times when the ball is in the air,” Jeremiah writes. “He is more than willing against the run, fighting through blockers and serving as a reliable tackler in space. Overall, Hood is a complete player and should be a very solid starter immediately at the next level.”
Last among the Top 50 trio for Tennessee is wide receiver Chris Brazzell. The redshirt-junior receiver had a breakout season with Tennessee’s revamped passing offense this year, more than tripling the receiving stats that he had during his first season with the program in 2024. Brazzell finished the season with 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns and went for 100+ receiving yards in four games this season, including a 177-yard showing against Georgia. The 6-foot-5 receiver consistently used his height to his advantage as he tracked and located deep/jump balls.
“Brazzell is a tall, lean and rangy wideout. He lined up very wide in Tennessee’s system. He has a long stride and is a gliding route runner,” Jeremiah writes. “He doesn’t possess much twitch or suddenness, but he can build speed down the field. He’s at his best on go routes, slants and posts. He tracks the ball easily and uses his big frame to win contested throws. He isn’t as effective when he’s required to gear down and work back to the quarterback. He also doesn’t offer much wiggle or creativity after the catch. Overall, Brazzell is a big, vertical target capable of producing chunk gains and points in the red zone.”
In combination with his Top 50 prospects, Jeremiah also released his first mock draft this week. He had McCoy going 10th overall to the Bengals and Hood going 12th overall to the Cowboys. Brazzell wasn’t in the first round projection, but the UT receiver did land a first-round tag in one of ESPN’s mock drafts last week.
While maybe not overly likely, there is a possibility that Tennessee could land three first-round picks this spring. Stay tuned to RTI for more Tennessee football draft coverage.