University of Tennessee Athletics
McCoy, Josephs, West Taken On Final Day of 2026 NFL Draft
April 25, 2026 | Football
PITTSBURGH – Defenders Jermod McCoy, Joshua Josephs and Tyre West were selected on the final day of the 2026 NFL Draft to bring Tennessee's three-day total to five picks.
Las Vegas traded up to make McCoy the first choice of Saturday in the fourth round at No. 101 overall. Josephs was taken one round later at pick No. 141 in the fifth, while West was selected at No. 222 overall with the sixth pick in the seventh round.
The five total picks tied a Josh Heupel era record, matching the five the Volunteers had during the 2022 and 2023 drafts. A total of 22 players have now been drafted in the Heupel era (since 2022 NFL Draft). It's the highest five-year span of draft picks for the Vols since 26 went from 2003-07.
Tennessee was the only program in the nation to produce multiple cornerback selections through the first 101 picks. Colton Hood was taken No. 37 overall by the New York Giants in Friday night's second round.
McCoy was a 2024 second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC selection, but he did not play during the 2025 season after suffering a knee injury while training in January. McCoy reunites with his former teammate wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr., who played his rookie season with the Raiders after being drafted in last year's fourth round.
"He's part of the reason why I had the season I had, just guarding him every day and making me better," McCoy said. "And then I feel like the same with me, him having to go against me, I'm making him also better. I think getting to do that again is just going to improve both of our games."
Josephs played all four years with the Vols and was a starter in his final two seasons. He collected 104 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 23 quarterback hurries and six forced fumbles during his career. He becomes the first UT player drafted by Washington since linebacker Kevin Simon went in the 2006 seventh round.
"I set standards high for myself, so I feel I will be able to make a dominant impact on that field and contribute to the success of our team," Josephs said Saturday afternoon.
West recorded 20.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks while playing all four seasons for the Vols. He shined as a senior with 7.5 tackles for loss and finished the year strong. He then played in the American Bowl and Senior Bowl. Â
Josephs and West continued a trend of multiple UT defensive linemen selected in back-to-back drafts. In addition, Tennessee has produced at least four draftees in the top 150 picks for the third time in the last four drafts. The Vols joined Alabama, Georgia and LSU as the only SEC programs to achieve that feat during that span (since 2023 draft). For perspective, Tennessee only achieved that feat twice in the 14-year span of 2008-21 prior to Heupel.
Additional Vols have now begun the process of signing as undrafted free agents.
Tennessee 2026 NFL Draft Picks
Round (Pick), Name, Position, Team
2 (37), Colton Hood, CB, New York Giants
3 (83), Chris Brazzell II, WR, Carolina Panthers
4 (101), Jermod McCoy, CB, Las Vegas Raiders
5 (147), Joshua Josephs, EDGE, Washington Commanders
7 (222), Tyre West, DL, Detroit Lions
Tennessee 2026 NFL Draft Notes
Las Vegas traded up to make McCoy the first choice of Saturday in the fourth round at No. 101 overall. Josephs was taken one round later at pick No. 141 in the fifth, while West was selected at No. 222 overall with the sixth pick in the seventh round.
The five total picks tied a Josh Heupel era record, matching the five the Volunteers had during the 2022 and 2023 drafts. A total of 22 players have now been drafted in the Heupel era (since 2022 NFL Draft). It's the highest five-year span of draft picks for the Vols since 26 went from 2003-07.
Tennessee was the only program in the nation to produce multiple cornerback selections through the first 101 picks. Colton Hood was taken No. 37 overall by the New York Giants in Friday night's second round.
McCoy was a 2024 second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC selection, but he did not play during the 2025 season after suffering a knee injury while training in January. McCoy reunites with his former teammate wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr., who played his rookie season with the Raiders after being drafted in last year's fourth round.
"He's part of the reason why I had the season I had, just guarding him every day and making me better," McCoy said. "And then I feel like the same with me, him having to go against me, I'm making him also better. I think getting to do that again is just going to improve both of our games."
Josephs played all four years with the Vols and was a starter in his final two seasons. He collected 104 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 23 quarterback hurries and six forced fumbles during his career. He becomes the first UT player drafted by Washington since linebacker Kevin Simon went in the 2006 seventh round.
"I set standards high for myself, so I feel I will be able to make a dominant impact on that field and contribute to the success of our team," Josephs said Saturday afternoon.
West recorded 20.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks while playing all four seasons for the Vols. He shined as a senior with 7.5 tackles for loss and finished the year strong. He then played in the American Bowl and Senior Bowl. Â
Josephs and West continued a trend of multiple UT defensive linemen selected in back-to-back drafts. In addition, Tennessee has produced at least four draftees in the top 150 picks for the third time in the last four drafts. The Vols joined Alabama, Georgia and LSU as the only SEC programs to achieve that feat during that span (since 2023 draft). For perspective, Tennessee only achieved that feat twice in the 14-year span of 2008-21 prior to Heupel.
Additional Vols have now begun the process of signing as undrafted free agents.
Tennessee 2026 NFL Draft Picks
Round (Pick), Name, Position, Team
2 (37), Colton Hood, CB, New York Giants
3 (83), Chris Brazzell II, WR, Carolina Panthers
4 (101), Jermod McCoy, CB, Las Vegas Raiders
5 (147), Joshua Josephs, EDGE, Washington Commanders
7 (222), Tyre West, DL, Detroit Lions
Tennessee 2026 NFL Draft Notes
- A total of 22 players in the Josh Heupel era have been drafted (since 2022 NFL Draft). It's the highest five-year span of draft picks for the Vols since 26 went from 2003-07.
- With the five total draft selections, Tennessee has had 396 all-time draft picks, which dates back to 1936. That mark includes the AFL Draft, which merged in 1967.
- Tennessee has now produced at least five NFL Draft picks in three out of the last five drafts. They also had five in 2022 and 2023.
- The four defensive picks for the Vols represent the program's most since four defenders were chosen in 2007 – DT Justin Harrell, DE Turk McBride, CB Jonathan Wade and LB Marvin Mitchell.
- Six Tennessee defensive linemen have now been drafted who were coached by Rodney Garner at UT.
- Tennessee was the only program in the nation to produce multiple cornerback selections through the first 101 picks. It joined Washington as the only two schools to produce multiple cornerback picks in the entire 2026 draft.
- Seven Tennessee wide receivers have been drafted in the last seven drafts combined. The Volunteers have produced five drafted wide receivers in the Josh Heupel era – Chris Brazzell II, Dont'e Thornton Jr., Velus Jones Jr., Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt.Â
- Colton Hood, Jermod McCoy and Chris Brazzell II all added to the list of Vols in the Heupel era who were drafted as underclassmen with eligibility remaining. Six Vols have now done that since the 2022 NFL Draft.
- On Friday night, Colton Hood (pick No. 37) was the highest drafted Vol defensive back since Eric Berry went fifth overall to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010.
- With Hood, Brazzell and McCoy being selected, the Vols have now produced nine draftees who were FBS transfers into the program in the Heupel era, joining Velus Jones Jr., Cade Mays, Hendon Hooker, Joe Milton III, Kamal Hadden, Omarr Norman-Lott, and Dont'e Thornton Jr.
- Tennessee has produced at least four draftees in the top 150 picks for the third time in the last four drafts. The Vols joined Alabama, Georgia and LSU as the only SEC programs to achieve that feat during that span (since 2023 draft). For perspective, Tennessee only achieved that feat twice in the 14-year span of 2008-21 prior to Heupel.
- Tennessee has produced multiple picks in the first three rounds in now four out of five drafts under Heupel. For perspective, from the 11-year span of 2011-21, the Vols only achieved that feat twice.
- Josh Heupel-coached teams have produced at least five draft picks in four of the last six drafts. Â
- Tyre West became the 24th Vol all-time to be selected by the Detroit Lions. Detroit has drafted more Vols than any organization in the entire NFL.
When Jermod got the call. 📱#NFLVols | #NFLDraft | @Raiders pic.twitter.com/lhLd3vsRta
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) April 25, 2026
Commanders called. 📞#NFLVols | #NFLDraft | @Commanders pic.twitter.com/40lze9s1wZ
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) April 25, 2026
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