KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Multiple Tennessee VFLs are prepared for the next stage of their football careers as the 2024 NFL Draft takes place this Thursday through Sunday in downtown Detroit.
ESPN, ABC and NFL Network will handle all three days of coverage. Round one begins at 8 p.m. ET Thursday. Rounds two and three get underway at 7 p.m. Friday. The final four rounds take place Saturday beginning at noon.
This year’s group of Volunteers will join the already 384 all-time selected UT players dating back to 1936, which includes the 1967 AFL Draft merger.
Running back Jaylen Wright is likely to be the first VFL off the board. One year after Tennessee produced the highest drafted SEC offensive linemen in Darnell Wright, the Vols likely will do the same at running back one year later with another Wright. Wright is considered one of the top three prospects at his position by most services and outlets.
Wright’s explosive and powerful ability was on full display last fall. He became the 19th 1,000-yard rusher in single-season school history, carrying it 137 times for 1,013 yards. His 7.39 average yards per carry led all FBS running backs with a minimum of 120 attempts. That figure also ranked second in UT single-season history.
Wright then bolstered his All-SEC season with a dynamic NFL Combine where he posted the second-best broad jump mark by a running back in history at 11 feet 2 inches. He clocked a 4.38 40-yard dash and added a 38-inch vertical jump.
Quarterback Joe Milton III is listed in most mock NFL Drafts for day three. Tennessee is seeking to produce back-to-back quarterbacks drafted under Josh Heupel and Joey Halzle. Milton’s former roommate and teammate Hendon Hooker was drafted by Detroit in round three last year. UT has produced 15 quarterbacks drafted in the common draft era, which dates back to 1967. That is tied for first in the SEC and fifth nationally among programs.
Milton finished 12th in UT all-time career offense with 4,664 yards. In three seasons, he completed 314-of-498 passes for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns with just five interceptions. His 3,112-yard total offense effort last season marked the third straight year a Vol quarterback had achieved that figure. Milton owns the second-longest streak of attempts without an interception in school history at 216.
Additional Vols who could hear their names called during the draft include cornerback Kamal Hadden, tight end McCallan Castles, wide receiver Ramel Keyton and running back Jabari Small. Hadden earned an NFL Combine invite after a superb final season in which he ranked fourth in the SEC in passes defended (11) despite missing the final six games due to a season-ending shoulder injury. Hadden’s 90.4 coverage grade by Pro Football Focus was second-best among SEC cornerbacks and fifth in the nation.
In his one season in Orange and White, Castles totaled 22 catches for 283 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 12.9 yards per reception. His five receiving scores were the most by a Vol tight end since Mychal Rivera logged five in 2012. They were also third-best among SEC tight ends.
Several Tennessee players are also expected to sign free agent contracts after the completion of the draft.