Senior Staff Writer/Editor/Host
We are still very early in the world of NFL mock drafts. We haven’t seen a single snap of college football yet. That’s what makes this process fun. We get to watch who fluctuates once the games begin. Who rises? Who thrives? Who falls?
With that being said, let’s check in on the Vols in the early 2027 NFL mock drafts courtesy of Draft Tek.
FIRST ROUND:
Welp, that was quick. Zero Vols are currently projected in the first round of this full seven-round mock draft. Don’t fret, however, as I do believe there are some Tennessee players with the potential to work their way into the first round. We’ll discuss those guys later.
SECOND ROUND:
OK, still nothing. Again, don’t panic. Stick with me here.
THIRD ROUND:
I promise, I’m not trolling. Hang in there.
FOURTH ROUND:
Almost there. Have y’all seen the new Spider-Man: Brand New Day flick? That was sick!
FIFTH ROUND:
Look at you. Have you seen the meme of the guy digging for diamonds who quit right before he found them? You did the opposite. Congratulations.
With the 158th pick, the Cincinnati Bengals select wide receiver Mike Matthews.
Matthews is coming off his sophomore season with the Vols, in which he caught 53 passes for 813 yards and four touchdowns. He is poised to be a top target for either George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon and should have a tremendous season.
With the 163rd pick, the Los Angeles Chargers select linebacker Amare Campbell.
Campbell is coming off a solid junior season with the Penn State Nittany Lions, in which he totaled 64 solo tackles and 3 sacks. Campbell followed defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to Knoxville and is expected to have a significant role in the Volunteer defense this season.
SIXTH ROUND:
With the 194th pick, the Dallas Cowboys select linebacker Arion Carter.
Carter had a bit of a wild offseason. He initially entered last year’s NFL Draft after a junior season in which he recorded 28 solo tackles, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble while dealing with a nagging turf toe injury. Instead, Carter changed course and opted to return to Tennessee for his senior season.
Carter will be suspended for the first two games of the season for a violation that head coach Josh Heupel bluntly called “Bullsh**.” Once he returns, Carter is expected to be another pivotal piece of the Volunteer defense.
With the 218th pick, the Atlanta Falcons select cornerback Kayin Lee.
An Auburn transfer, Lee recorded 25 solo tackles and one interception during his junior season on the Plains. Lee is expected to bolster a Tennessee secondary that lost several pivotal pieces to last season’s NFL Draft and the transfer portal.
SEVENTH ROUND:
With the 229th pick, the Miami Dolphins select offensive lineman Wendell Moe Jr.
Moe joined the Vols’ offensive line last season after spending his first two seasons at Arizona. He quickly established himself as a physical force along the Tennessee offensive line and is expected to be just as good, if not better, during his senior season.
POTENTIAL RISERS
I mentioned earlier that there were some players who I thought could play their way up the board this season. To be precise, there are three players who I think could make a significant jump, including one who isn’t even mentioned in this mock draft.
Mike Matthews: The Tennessee wide receiver room is STACKED, but over the last few seasons, there has been at least one guy who has just exploded onto the scene. Jalin Hyatt comes to mind, although that trend started before him. Most recently, it was Chris Brazzell.
There has been an undeniable stigma surrounding receivers in the Vols’ version of the veer-and-shoot offense. However, last season, Coach Heupel implemented some new looks, and Brazzell said in a preseason interview that most of the routes he was running with the Panthers were the same ones he ran at Tennessee. Unfortunately, Brazzell will miss this season after suffering an LCL injury, so we won’t get to see how that Tennessee-to-NFL translation continues to develop.
That quote still opens the door for Matthews, though. I think he has a chance to put together a huge season and potentially play himself into first-round conversation.
Wendell Moe Jr.: The Vols have had some good fortune with offensive linemen in recent years. Darnell Wright was selected 10th overall by the Chicago Bears and recently signed a historic four-year, $116 million contract. Trey Smith, meanwhile, was selected in the sixth round after falling due to health concerns, but he has quickly put those concerns to bed and has played like a top-10 pick.
Moe Jr. has both the talent and opportunity to become one of the best offensive linemen in the country and soar up draft boards this season.
DeSean Bishop: OK, I get it. I know how it looks saying a guy who isn’t showing up on mock drafts at all has first-round potential, but hear me out.
The Vols made one of the biggest hires of the offseason when they snatched strength coach Derek Owings from national champion Indiana. Bishop was already a physically impressive player, but with Owings’ help, he has transformed into an absolute brick wall.
With the recent commitment of David Gabriel-Georges, the Vols will likely place even more emphasis on the run game, which they already prioritize. That could allow Bishop to really make a name for himself.
His numbers before his physical transformation were already impressive. He carried the ball 182 times, tied for 43rd nationally, while racking up 1,076 rushing yards, good for 21st in the country. He also found the end zone 16 times, which tied for sixth nationally.
Don’t sleep on the former Karns Beaver.
For now, Tennessee may not be viewed as a program loaded with first-round talent by NFL Scouts, but once the pads start popping and the ball is in play, I expect the reputation to become much more favorable.
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