The Tennessee star who could jump Vols teammate in draft

Throughout the entire pre-draft process, experts have mocked Tennessee star Jermod McCoy as the second cornerback taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, behind LSU’s Mansoor Delane. However, with one week remaining in the process, some are beginning to believe that McCoy is falling behind former teammate Colton Hood.

Hood was widely viewed as the third-best cornerback of the class after a stellar season with the Volunteers in 2025. But with McCoy’s knee injury suddenly becoming a major concern, Hood could now be No. 2 behind Delane, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano.

“I’ve heard there’s a chance Tennessee’s Colton Hood could be the second cornerback taken, behind Delane and ahead of Volunteers teammate Jermod McCoy,” Graziano wrote. “There are teams wary of the condition of McCoy’s knee and could shy away. Multiple people have compared it to former Michigan cornerback Will Johnson’s situation last year, as he was a first-round talent who fell into Day 2 due to health concerns. Johnson ended up playing well as a rookie for the Cardinals anyway.”

Graziano compared McCoy’s situation to Arizona Cardinals cornerback Will Johnson, who was a projected first-rounder in 2025 before falling to Day Two due to injury concerns during his pre-draft workout. Scouts appear to believe that McCoy is in a worse situation than Johnson.

McCoy missed the entire 2025 season after suffering a torn ACL during offseason workouts. He was widely viewed as the best cornerback in the country before the injury after a second-team All-American season in 2024.

McCoy’s knee was always a concern, but many initially believed he would be ready for 2026 NFL training camps. However, teams now believe that he could require another surgery, which would likely force him to miss most of his rookie season and attempt to return from back-to-back significant procedures in 2027.