
Judge grants Oklahoma LB Heinecke extra year
Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke granted an extra year of eligibility for 2026 after court ruling.
The 2026 NFL draft is set for April 23–25 in Pittsburgh, with five former Tennessee Volunteers projected to be selected. Key players include Jermod McCoy, Colton Hood, Chris Brazzell II, Joshua Josephs, and Bryson Eason.
The NFL draft will open in one week with the first round. The NFL draft will be held April 23–25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
On Thursday, Ayrton Ostly of USA TODAY released a seven-round NFL mock draft. He projects five former Vols to be selected during the NFL draft: Jermod McCoy, Colton Hood, Chris Brazzell II, Joshua Josephs and Bryson Eason.
After having four Vols selected in 2025, Tennessee has produced 391 all-time NFL draft picks, including the AFL draft which merged in 1967.
17 Tennessee players have been drafted during the Josh Heupel era.
"I think they know what they're getting out of a guy from here,” Heupel said at pro day on March 31 of what Tennessee’s program has sold to the NFL over the last five years. “The tape is the tape, but they know the level of accountability that we have inside of our program, how we approach every single day.
“Their ability to be the same competitor every single day, what they get exposed to on the football knowledge part of it, I think they understand they're getting a consistent type of player."
Jermod McCoy, Colton Hood, Chris Brazzell II, Joshua Josephs, and Bryson Eason are projected to be drafted.
The 2026 NFL draft is scheduled for April 23–25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
A total of 17 Tennessee players have been drafted during the Josh Heupel era.

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Below are where former Vols are projected in the 2026 NFL draft by Ostly.
This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: 2026 seven-round NFL mock draft: Where former Vols are projected