Tennessee football defensive back Colton Hood will be one of 16 players attending the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. The draft attendees were announced on Thursday.

The first round of the NFL Draft is set for Thursday, April 23. Rounds 2 and 3 will be held on Friday, April 24 and rounds 4-7

The other attendees will be David Bailey, Rueben Bain Jr., Mansoor Delane, Caleb Downs, Keldric Faulk, Makai Lemon, Jeremiyah Love, Francis Mauigoa, Kayden McDonald, Kadyn Proctor, Arvell Reese, Ty Simpson, Sonny Styles, Carnell Tate and Jordan Tyson. 

Colton Hood projected to be picked late in first round

Hood is currently projected in multiple mock drafts to be picked late in the first round. ESPN’s Peter Schrager has Hood at No. 29 to the Kansas City Chiefs, CBS Sports has him at No. 29 to the Kansas City Chiefs and NFL.com has him at No. 30 to the Miami Dolphins.

“Hood was highly productive last season, with 10 pass breakups despite Jermod McCoy being out of the lineup opposite him,” Schrager wrote in the ESPN mock draft this week. 

“Kansas City lost three key defensive backs in free agency (Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams), so there is a big need. Hood — the nephew of former pro Roderick Hood — brings a pro-style mentality and a knack for being around the ball.”

Hood had a breakout season for the Vols out of the NCAA Transfer Portal after transferring from Colorado. He had 50 tackles, eight passes defended and an interception and fumble returned for a touchdown.

ESPN: Jermod McCoy is a legit No. 1 corner when healthy

McCoy’s stock was solidified with his testing numbers at Tennessee’s pro day, where he ran a 4.37 in the 40 and had a 38-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-7 broad jump.

He was a breakout star during for Tennessee during the 2024 season, finishing with 44 tackles, nine passes defended and four interceptions. He had 31 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games as a freshman at Oregon State before transferring to Tennessee.

CBS Sports has McCoy at No. 10 overall to the Bengals, NFL.com has him at No. 12 to the Dallas Cowboys and ESPN has him at No. 14 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

“(McCoy) is a legit No. 1 corner when he’s healthy,” Schrager wrote. “McCoy has a 77-inch wingspan and is viewed as one of the top two CBs in this class, alongside Delane. By the end of last season, Tampa Bay was relying on some very inexperienced players at the position, and it did not add anyone in free agency to replace Jamel Dean.”