Tennessee has 2 players ranked among the top 100 prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft, and neither is who Vols fans would expect
The Tennessee Volunteers should have several player selected in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The outlook for the 2027 NFL Draft will change considerably between now and next April.
But that won’t stop draft rankings and mock drafts from being published any time soon (hey, they’re fun to look at).
Two Tennessee Vols players are in CBS Sports’ Top 100 rankings for the 2027 NFL Draft
CBS Sports revealed their latest top 100 rankings for the 2027 NFL Draft this week and two Vols players are listed.
But they probably aren’t the two players most Tennessee fans would expect.
CBS Sports has offensive lineman Jesse Perry ranked at No. 49 and cornerback Kayin Lee, who transferred from Auburn to Tennessee earlier this year, at No. 75.
Perry will likely be a guard at the next level, but he can also play right tackle.
“Jesse Perry has an outstanding offensive lineman frame, the kind that’s born to carry 300-plus pounds,” noted CBS Sports’ Mike Renner. “He split time between tackle and guard last year, although I see him fairly clearly ending up on the interior. His ability to match power and move people as only a true sophomore was outstanding.”
Lee, meanwhile, is set to replace Rickey Gibson as a starting cornerback for the Vols.
“He’s a strong Cover 2 corner with good speed and footwork,” wrote ESPN’s Steve Muench of Lee earlier this summer. “He is physical with receivers in press; excels at rerouting and gaining leverage. Lee is at his best when keeping the ball in front of him, but transitions and closes quickly. He’s competitive when targeted and will go up and fight for the high-point ball. Lee possesses very good eye discipline and is instinctive. He’s an aggressive edge-setter against the run, and a sound wrap-up tackler who makes plays in space and limits leaky yardage. He has good speed and length, but physicality and effort are what really stand out.”
Perry and Lee are both good players, and they’ll be critical to Tennessee’s success in 2026.
But if you told me to guess which two Vols players were listed as top 100 prospects for next year’s draft, I would’ve gone with linebacker Arion Carter and wide receiver Mike Matthews without question.
By the way, a couple of players who transferred away from Tennessee were also included in CBS Sports’ rankings: offensive lineman Lance Heard (Kentucky) at No. 29 and edge rusher Jordan Ross (LSU) at No. 37.
