The Tennessee Vols have several players that will be making NFL Draft decisions over the next couple of weeks.

Several Tennessee players — such as linebacker Arion Carter and offensive lineman Lance Heard — likely wouldn’t be a first round selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, but they could still be early day two selections. It’s still a bit early, though, to forecast exactly how those guys will be valued by NFL teams, which makes it tough to predict what those players will do.

A couple of others players — specifically cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood — have much easier NFL Draft decisions to make.

Vols cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood projected as first round selections in ESPN’s latest mock draft

The latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft from ESPN has McCoy and Hood going in the first round.

ESPN’s Field Yates has McCoy going No. 21 to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Interestingly, Yates noted that some scouts see McCoy as a top 10 selection while others aren’t sure he’ll be selected in the first round due to missing the entire 2025 season (McCoy tore his ACL 11 months ago).

“This would be a calculated risk, as McCoy did not play at all this season after an ACL tear in January,” wrote Yates. “Some scouts believe he is a top-10 prospect, while others are dubious he will even go in the first round without any tape this season. But his elite skill set was obvious with the Volunteers last season, resulting in four interceptions and nine pass breakups.”

A strong showing at the NFL Scouting Combine could solidify McCoy as a first rounder.

Yates has Hood, who arrived at Tennessee in 2025 after transferring from Colorado, going to the New England Patriots with the No. 30 overall selection.

“Hood has some areas to clean up with his technique, but there’s an infectious energy that you see every time you watch him play,” wrote Yates. “He posted 10 pass breakups this season — his first with Tennessee after spending one season at Colorado and his freshman year at Auburn. Hood loves the challenge of man coverage and can be an aggressive player in run support.”

No decisions have been made yet by McCoy or Hood, but it would be a surprise to see either player back at Tennessee in 2026.

With McCoy and Hood expected to move on to the NFL, the expectation is that Ty Redmond and Rickey Gibson will serve as the Vols’ starting cornerbacks in 2026.

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