The Tennessee Vols have done a tremendous job in the Josh Heupel era at producing NFL talent. 2026 should be no different, as the Vols already have multiple players declaring for the NFL Draft.
The emergence of Tennessee's presence in the NFL has paid off in recruiting, as the Vols just signed their best class under Heupel a few weeks ago. Players are taking notice of the fact that Tennessee gets you to the league.
ESPN, CBS Sports, and Pro Football Focus have all released their big boards for the NFL Draft. It's still very early, as players haven't been to the combine, gone through interviews, the Senior Bowl, and plenty of other factors. Despite that, let's take a look at where Tennessee's top prospects land on these big boards before the pre-draft process begins.
Chris Brazzell II, WR
Big board ranks:
ESPN: 34th OVR, 7th WR
CBS: 33rd OVR, 5th WR
PFF: 48th OVR, 13th WR
Chris Brazzell looks to be a borderline first-rounder. Brazzell's greatest asset is his elite size and catch radius downfield. He will surely make any quarterback at the next level very happy.
Colton Hood, CB
Big board ranks:
ESPN: 26th OVR, 3rd CB
CBS: 65th OVR, 8th CB
PFF: 32nd OVR, 4th CB
Colton Hood just declared for the draft Friday night. The first round is not out of the realm of possibilities for Hood. He is an elite corner in man coverage and is a vigorous playmaker on the ball.
Joshua Josephs, DE
Big board ranks:
ESPN: Not Ranked
CBS: 91st OVR, 15th DE
PFF: 37th OVR, 9th DE
Joshua Josephs has great size and speed that the NFL will love. Right now, he seems like a lock to be a day two pick. He is one of the best pure pass rushers in the 2026 NFL Draft class.
Jermod McCoy, CB
Big board ranks:
ESPN: 23rd OVR, 2nd CB
CBS: 11th OVR, 1st CB
PFF: 13th OVR, 1st CB
Despite missing all of 2025 with an ACL tear, Jermod McCoy is still pretty much the consensus top cornerback in the draft. There is a very real chance he ends up being picked in the top 10.