The first former Vol selected in the 2026 NFL Draft wasn’t who everyone thought it would be
The first former Tennessee Volunteers player wasn’t selected in the 2026 NFL Draft until the second day of the draft. The Vols were expected to have a player selected in the first round, but that wasn’t the case.
The first Tennessee Vols player selected in the 2026 NFL Draft isn’t the player that most folks thought it would be.
For months, the expectation was that cornerback Jermod McCoy would be the first former Vol selected in this year’s draft.
McCoy was viewed by some analysts as the most talented cornerback in the draft.
Unfortunately for McCoy, he fell out of the first round due to new concerns about his knee (McCoy missed all of last season with a torn ACL).
No former Vols were selected on Night 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft
No former Vols heard their name called on night one of the draft.
Former Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood, however, didn’t have to wait long to hear his name called on Friday night.
The New York Giants selected Hood with the No. 37 overall pick (second round).
There was some thought that Hood would be a first round pick, but it wasn’t a surprise that he went early in the second round.
What was a surprise, though, was Hood going before McCoy (ESPN actually predicted that New York would take McCoy at No. 37).
The injury concerns about McCoy appear to be legitimate, because there’s no other explanation for his sudden free fall.