The 2026 NFL Draft is in the books, and a handful of Tennessee players found their next opportunity to play professionally after the 7th round wrapped up on Saturday afternoon. Colton Hood, Jermod McCoy, Joshua Josephs, Chris Brazzell and Tyre West all heard their name called over the weekend, and it didn’t take long for others to land undrafted free agent deals.
Joey Aguilar was among the first to sign, earning a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Aguilar landed at Tennessee after a whirlwind of
a few months, which saw him bounce from Appalachian State, UCLA and Tennessee. The result was a big-time offensive season where Aguilar threw for 3,565 yards and 24 touchdowns. Aguilar is good enough in just about every category to earn a shot at the next level, but will have to cut down on the turnovers to stick as a potential backup down the road.
Dominic Bailey quickly signed a deal with the Houston Texans for his next chance. Bailey’s NFL buzz was surprisingly quiet despite several productive seasons in Knoxville under Rodney Garner.
Defensive backs Jalen McMurray and former walk-on William Wright found opportunities on Saturday night. McMurray will stay in-state with the Tennessee Titans, while Wright signed a deal with the Denver Broncos.
Bryson Eason was receiving some day three hype, but didn’t hear his name called. The former linebacker turned defensive tackle lands out west with the San Fransisco 49ers.
There was a time when Miles Kitselman had some real traction with NFL scouts, but that was seemingly derailed with a late injury last season. Kitselman, who can do a little bit of everything, lands with the Detroit Lions.
And finally, Jaxson Moi goes back west to land with the Los Angeles Rams. Moi, a transfer from Arizona State, spent two seasons developing under Rodney Garner
Tennessee has now had four picks inside the top 150 picks in three of the last four seasons. Only four SEC programs can say that during that span of time. Tennessee only did that twice from 2008-2021, which is wild to think about.
Wendell Moe, Daevin Hobbs, Arion Carter, Amare Campbell, TJ Metcalf, Kayin Lee and Qua Moss are some names that could continue that trend next season.
