Tennessee has had 392 players drafted into the NFL, 47 in the first round, and two taken first overall: George Cafego in 1940 and Peyton Manning in 1998. Fourteen Volunteers have gone in the top ten. The 2026 class of five was led by cornerback Colton Hood in the second round and was the first without a first round pick since 2024.
| Total draft picks all time | 392, top fifteen among all programs |
| First round picks all time | 47 |
| No. 1 overall picks | George Cafego 1940, Peyton Manning 1998 |
| Top ten picks all time | 14 |
| First rounders under Fulmer | 19, including nine from 1998 to 2002 |
| 2026 class | Five, none in the first round |
The 2026 Draft
Five Volunteers were selected, four of them transfers who had arrived through the portal. Colton Hood, who had played at Auburn and Colorado before one breakout season in Knoxville, went 37th to the New York Giants. Jermod McCoy, projected as a first round cornerback before tearing an ACL in January 2025 and missing the entire season, fell to Las Vegas in the fourth round.
| Pick | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd round, No. 37 | CB Colton Hood | New York Giants |
| 3rd round, No. 83 | WR Chris Brazzell II | Carolina Panthers |
| 4th round, No. 101 | CB Jermod McCoy | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 5th round, No. 147 | EDGE Joshua Josephs | Washington Commanders |
| 7th round, No. 222 | DL Tyre West | Detroit Lions |
Brazzell caught 62 passes for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns in his final season. Quarterback Joey Aguilar, who threw for 3,565 yards in his one year at Tennessee, signed with Jacksonville as an undrafted free agent.
Manning and Cafego
George Cafego, a tailback in Neyland’s single wing, was the first overall pick in 1940 by the Chicago Cardinals after two All-America seasons. Fifty eight years later Peyton Manning went first to Indianapolis, having returned for his senior year when he could have gone first the year before. Manning played 18 seasons, won two Super Bowls, and is the program’s most famous product; Reggie White, taken in the 1984 supplemental draft, is its other Pro Football Hall of Famer.
The Fulmer Pipeline
Phillip Fulmer’s seventeen seasons produced 19 first round picks, and nine of them came in the five drafts from 1998 to 2002, the period after Manning that included Jamal Lewis, Shaun Ellis, Deon Grant, John Henderson and Albert Haynesworth. Tennessee’s ranking among all programs in total picks, around thirteenth, was built in those years and the ones just before them.
The Lean Years and the Rebuild
The coaching churn between 2009 and 2020 produced fewer than 25 draft picks across a decade, with Eric Berry at fifth overall in 2010 and Derek Barnett at 14th in 2017 the exceptions. Josh Heupel’s arrival revived the output: Hendon Hooker and Jalin Hyatt in 2023, and James Pearce Jr. as a first rounder in 2025 alongside running back Dylan Sampson. Our head coaches page covers both eras.
The Bottom Line
Tennessee has 392 NFL draft picks, 47 first rounders and two No. 1 overall selections, with 14 players taken in the top ten. Phillip Fulmer’s era produced 19 first rounders and the program’s ranking among the sport’s top pipelines. The 2026 class of five, led by Colton Hood at 37th, had no first round pick for the first time since 2024. Our All-Americans page covers the college honours behind the pipeline.