After the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft, Tennessee football saw its total number of draftees increase by five.

Since 1936, the Vols have seen 396 draft picks enter the NFL, and this season’s class ties a Josh Heupel era record, matching the 2022 and 2023 drafts. Since his first draft class in 2022, the Vols have seen 22 draftees under Heupel.

Here’s where former Tennessee football players will begin their professional careers.

Colton Hood — Second round, 37th overall (New York Giants)

The first Vol to hear his name called, Colton Hood transferred in from Colorado after his sophomore season where he filled in for an injured Jermod McCoy, becoming the team’s main option at cornerback.

A 2025 All-SEC second team honoree and a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist, Hood was lockdown his junior year, tallying an interception with 50 tackles and nine pass-deflections.

“It kind of feels unreal still to this day,” Hood said in his introductory interview. “Like, I’m in the New York Giants facility, like, it’s kind of crazy. I’m just happy to be here. I’m ready to go to work, honestly. If we could practice tomorrow, I’d throw my cleats on right now.”

Hood joins a room that needs some reinforcement after a rough 2025-26 season.

Chris Brazzell II — Third round, 83rd overall (Carolina Panthers)

An interesting prospect throughout the drafting process, Chris Brazzell is another former transfer who found success once coming to Tennessee.

After departing from Tulane in 2023, he immediately saw sparks in his game, despite only finishing his first season with the Vols with 333 receiving yards.

His next season, Brazzell tallied 1,017 yards over 62 receptions in a dominant junior year.

“Just the body of work,” new Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said. “His ability to have the vertical speed and threat, but then his ability to drop his weight, get in and out of breaks really efficiently is one of the things that I was so impressed with. And in our conversations, as we’re going through the process, I was like, ‘Guys, look at this.’ Typically, when a guy’s 6-foot-4, they don’t have that type of bend and flexibility and power to stop on a dime and get out.”

For Brazzell, it’s an opportunity to don colors he’s dreamt of.

“I’ve been a fan,” Brazzell said in his introductory press conference. “I’m a long-time Panther fan. I’ve been a Panther fan since I was in third grade, so it’s a dream come true.”

Jermod McCoy — Fourth Round, 101st overall (Las Vegas Raiders)

The biggest story of the weekend for Vols prospects was the fall of projected first-rounder McCoy, who wound up being picked with the first selection in the fourth round.

Reports surfaced that McCoy may need an additional surgery on his knee, in addition to the ACL injury he suffered in January 2025 that kept him from a season of participation. That contributed to his slide.

Despite missing the full season and not participating in the NFL Draft Combine, there was still hype surrounding McCoy and a possible first-round pick.

”I was watching (the draft) for sure,” McCoy said in his introductory press conference. “I mean, because this ain’t something you could take for granted. This is everyone’s dream. So, it’s not something you could just say, ‘I didn’t get drafted where I wanted, so I’m not going to watch the draft no more.’ This is still a blessing to get drafted. So, I mean, I was in there watching it, got the call, super excited, ready to get to work.”

Joshua Josephs — Fifth round, 147th overall (Washington Commanders)

An edge defender that spent all four of his college seasons at Tennessee, Josephs finished his career with 9.5 total sacks, 22 tackles for loss and 104 total tackles.

His illustrious career earned him a late-round selection with the Washington Commanders in the fifth round.

“Honestly, I guess a sigh of relief or like a breath of fresh air,” Josephs said in his introductory press conference. “The wait’s finally over. And now that I’m here, I’m just blessed to be in this position, and I’m very grateful that I’m a Commander.”

Josephs joins a defensive-heavy staff in Washington, led by head coach Dan Quinn — who his mother is particularly a fan of.

“I feel like, when I got to a point in my age where football started to kind of take over,” Josephs said. “He was at the Falcons at the time, and since she lived in Georgia, she just adopted that culture, and she always believed he was an amazing coach, and she just respected him and got a lot of appreciation towards him.”

Tyre West — Seventh round, 222 overall (Detroit Lions)

The final Vols’ selection of the weekend is defensive lineman Tyre West.

West tallied ten sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss over four seasons at Tennessee, where he played 48 games.

“I definitely proved that I’m a versatile player. Wherever you put me, wherever I line up, I’m always going to do my best to make plays,” West said in a Sports Illustrated interview before the draft. “I think I’ve managed to stand out throughout this process. I believe I did that at Tennessee this past season as well. I made plays and stood out on tape.”

Other Vols who landed professional opportunities

Quarterback Joey Aguilar quickly landed himself an undrafted free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The defensive line group of Bryson Eason, Dominic Bailey and Jaxson Moi all earned opportunities as well. Eason inked an undrafted free agent deal with the 49ers, Bailey signed with the Houston Texans and Moi signed with the Los Angeles Rams.

Tight end Miles Kitselman will join West in Detroit, signing an undrafted free agent deal with the Lions after the conclusion of the draft. Cornerback William Wright heads to the Mile High City after signing with the Denver Broncos.

Teammates Jalen McMurray and Star Thomas will be in a familiar setting in Tennessee. McMurray signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Tennessee Titans, while Thomas accepted a rookie minicamp invite.

Each player will have an uphill battle to make the teams’ 53-man rosters. The NFL preseason begins August 6.