Mock draft season is officially here as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches, and Tennessee could realistically have three players go in the first round. The Vols have JerMod McCoy, who is a lock, and then cornerback Colton Hood, and wide receiver Chris Brazzell II are potentially going to be picked in the late first round.
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Nicholas Rome, the Site Expert for FanSided's Saturday Blitz site, released his most recent mock draft, and he has two Tennessee Vols getting drafted in the first round.
The first Vol off the board is Jermod McCoy who Rome has falling to pick No. 20 going to the Dallas Cowboys. I really like this landing spot for McCoy, as Dallas needs a complete retooling of their secondary. They were dead last in the NFL last season in passing yards allowed per game. McCoy is presumably healthy and ready to go; he should be able to compete from day one in Dallas.
Next, Rome has the other Vols cornerback, Colton Hood, going to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 29 overall. The Chiefs could use another corner alongside Nohl Williams. This could also be a strong landing spot for Hood, as the Kansas City Chiefs run a significant amount of man coverage. Last fall, Trent McDuffie, who Hood would likely replace, played 24.8% of his snaps in man coverage.
No Chris Brazzell II in the recent mock draft
In the late first round, Rome has Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. going No. 24 to the Cleveland Browns, and he has Texas A&M's KC Concepcion going No. 27 overall to the San Francisco 49ers. These are two spots where Brazzell could land, especially in Cleveland, which is lacking a guy who can stretch the field and make a big gain.
Either way, having two first-round picks is a remarkable achievement and should provide a boost on the recruiting trail. While some fans have grown frustrated with Josh Heupel, there’s no denying he has turned the program around from where it was during the Jeremy Pruitt era.