The next Tennessee first round pick?
The Tennessee Volunteers sent James Pearce to the NFL by way of the first round over the weekend. Can they repeat that again next season with another defensive prospect? Multiple mock drafts think so, despite an injury wildcard.
Jermod McCoy, an Oregon State transfer who made a huge impact in his first season with the Tennessee football program, is being projected as one of the top cornerbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft. The 6-0, 193 pound defensive back has a nose for the football, grabbing two interceptions as a true freshman with the Beavers and another four as a sophomore with the Volunteers.
That production has caught the eye of NFL Draft pundits, who think he’s a likely first round pick in next year’s NFL Draft.
Jermod McCoy 2026 NFL Draft Projection
CBS Sports: No. 20 overall to the Los Angeles Chargers
PFF: No. 8 overall on their 2026 big board
The Draft Network: No. 18 overall to the Minnesota Vikings
Of course, this all assumes that McCoy can come back this fall healthy and able to be the same player he was before the injury. McCoy tore his ACL in offseason workouts back in January, clouding his 2026 season a bit. ACL recovery has come a long way in the past decade, but still, an 8-9 month timetable is still a lot to ask to get back to 100 percent.
McCoy is one of the most important players on the roster for Tennessee, making game-changing plays at multiple points last season. Tennessee had its back against the wall twice last season — against Alabama and at Vanderbilt — and McCoy ended up changing the trajectory of both games with a pick in the endzone. He also got the ball rolling at Oklahoma with an early pick off of Jackson Arnold.
His NFL Draft status largely hinges on his ability to return this fall, and Tennessee will certainly need him. The Volunteers open with an emerging Syracuse program in Atlanta, then host Georgia on September 13th.