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After the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Josh Heupel’s Tennessee football team produced five draft picks in the ensuing drafts. That current Heupel Era record could be broken this season, though. According to a recent full seven-round mock draft by The Athletic, Dane Brugler has six Tennessee players hearing their names called.
The first is cornerback Jermod McCoy, coming off his second season at UT, but one that saw him never play a snap as he recovered from an ACL injury. Brugler has him going 18th overall to the Minnesota Vikings.
“McCoy is a tough player to project in a mock draft — some teams are comfortable with his 2025 knee injury, while others won’t consider him in the first round,” Brugler wrote. “I don’t know how the Vikings feel, but adding his level of talent to a Brian Flores defense would be fun to watch.”
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The next Tennessee player projected to be selected is fellow cornerback Colton Hood. After shining in his first season with the Vols, he’s a nearly consensus first-round pick, though where he goes in those first 32 picks is up in the air. This mock has him as the final pick, going 32nd to the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
“Seattle enters draft weekend with just four draft picks, so this spot is a prime candidate to be dealt,” Brugler wrote. “But if the Seahawks stick and pick, a cornerback or edge rusher makes the most sense, given who will be available. Hood would offer ascending cover talent.”
Then, it’s wide receiver Chris Brazzell. Brugler has him dropping to the third round, going 78th overall to the Indianapolis Colts. The majority of mock drafts agree that he is a second or third-round pick.
On day three, Brugler has three UT players taken. First, edge rusher Joshua Josephs is placed in the fourth round at 110th overall to the Cincinnati Bengals. In the seventh round, he has defensive end Tyre West at pick 228 to the New York Jets. Finally, he has defensive tackle Bryson Eason at pick 246 to the Denver Broncos.