ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. includes 2 Tennessee stars in first-round NFL mock draft
By Mark Kern
Published:
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has released his debut mock draft for the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, and the Las Vegas Raiders are officially on the clock. While the expectation is that Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is a lock to be taken by Las Vegas with the No. 1 pick, there are still 31 other picks to be made in the first round.
According to Kiper, two Tennessee stars will be among them.
The first former Volunteer that Kiper has going in the first round is cornerback Jermod McCoy. Kiper slotted McCoy 13th overall to the Los Angeles Rams. Here’s what he wrote on the recovering defensive back:
OK, let’s get McCoy off the board for real now. He’s a tough evaluation, as he didn’t play a snap of football in the 2025 season after tearing an ACL last January. Teams are going to have to take that into consideration, and his medical checks at the combine will be key. We saw Ja’Marr Chase, Penei Sewell, Micah Parsons and Rashawn Slater all go in the top 15 in 2021 without playing at all in 2020, but they were all COVID-19 opt-outs. Recovering from an injury is a little different.
That all said, McCoy is a ball hawk, and he’s still a top-15 prospect for me. He had four interceptions and nine pass breakups back in 2024. Los Angeles has gotten the most out of its cornerbacks this season en route to the NFC Championship Game, but it still needs a true CB1. The Rams gave up 7.6 yards per pass attempt this season, tied for fifth highest.
McCoy fills a position of need for the Rams, as the biggest weakness they have had during their run to the NFC Championship game has been in the secondary. LA ranks 26th in the league in passing defense (253.5 yards).
Later in the opening round, Kiper has the Buffalo Bills taking wideout Chris Brazzell Jr with the No. 26 pick. Here’s what he wrote on that selection:
As Buffalo looks for a new coach, it also might start evaluating its wide receiver room. The Bills haven’t had a true WR1 nor any pass catcher clear 850 yards since Stefon Diggs was traded in 2024. And when the injuries started to pile up at the position in the playoffs, things only got worse.
Picking in this range makes it difficult to find impact wideouts, and Brazzell would be the sixth off the board (marking the 10th time this century that six or more wide receivers have gone in Round 1). But he also has the skill set to be a standout in the pros. His 6-foot-5 frame, long arms, sure hands and great concentration make him a big-time target in the end zone and on contested balls. I also see the explosiveness to get out of his breaks and separate. Brazzell tallied 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns this past season.
It is no secret that the Bills need help at the wide receiver position, and Brazzell is just the type of player that they need. At 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, he has a rare combination of size and speed.
There are still a few months before the NFL Draft starts, and Kiper is sure to make some changes as the first round draws closer. However, both of these former Vols look like sure-fire first-rounders.
