Projecting where former Vols land in this year’s NFL Draft

Several former Tennessee football standouts are set to take the next step in this year’s NFL Draft, but where will they land?

While the sports world has mostly shut down after the outbreak of coronavirus, the NFL offseason has kept chugging along. 

From free agency to wild trades, teams are making crazy moves and acquiring picks to keep us sports-deprived fans sane in these dark times.

On Monday, Roger Goodell announced that the NFL Draft will go on as scheduled in late April, and six former Tennessee football players will be draft-eligible with a legitimate shot to play professional football next season. 

Even if some of these players go undrafted, they will still have a chance to make their mark in the NFL like undrafted free agent Shy Tuttle did for the New Orleans Saints during his rookie season.

With this in mind, let’s break down these six Vols and try and figure out what their draft stock looks like right now.

Darrell Taylor, Pass Rusher – Round 2-3

Taylor is still nursing a stress fracture that saw him miss the combine. However, injury concerns aside, whoever drafts Taylor will be getting one of the most exciting pass rushers in the draft. 

Taylor has great size and a strong power move coming off the edge. He is great at forcing fumbles in the backfield, and his balance makes him tough for offensive tackles to throw around.

However, Taylor has been oft-injured with the Vols, dealing with shin and knee injuries during his time in Knoxville. He is also incredibly inconsistent – 14 of his 16 sacks from his junior and senior seasons happened in eight games.

However, pass rusher is one of the most valuable positions in the NFL and Taylor is one of the best in this year’s draft. Expect him to go sometime on Day 2.

Jauan Jennings, WR – Round 4-7

So yeah, I realize that this is a giant range of places that Jennings be drafted. 

But right now, it’s impossible to tell how many teams were turned off by his ugly combine where he recorded a 4.72 40-yard dash and a 29-inch vertical jump. Jennings was never going to post crazy numbers at the combine, but these measurements will likely knock him from Day 2 of the draft to Day 3.

Of course, every Tennessee fan knows that it’s impossible to grade Jennings with raw numbers. 

Jennings will play his butt off, break tackles and be a huge threat after the catch, andbe a leader in the locker room and on the sideline.

Scout projections for Jennings’ draft position range from a fourth-round pick to an undrafted free agent, but I would probably bet on the Dawg getting drafted in the fifth or sixth round. 

And everyone here on Rocky Top knows that whoever takes him so late is getting a steal.

Marquez Callaway, WR – Round 6-7

Unlike Jennings, Callaway had a huge combine that has led to his draft stock stabilizing in the late rounds of the draft. The talented receiver posted a 4.55 40-yard dash, 38-inch vertical leap, and 126-inch broad jump that show his dynamic explosiveness.

While Callaway had some huge highlights with the Vols as a downfield threat, he will need to prove that he can be useful in other ways to stick in the NFL.

Callaway’s route-running is lacking at this stage of his career, and he will need to show growth there to become a more well-rounded player. However, Callaway’s prowess as a deep target will likely get him drafted on Day 3.

Daniel Bituli, ILB – UDFA

Nigel Warrior, S – UDFA

Dominick Wood-Anderson,TE – UDFA

Let’s start with Daniel Bituli, who by far has the best chance of these three players to find himself on an NFL roster next season.

Like Jennings, Bituli posted some admittedly low numbers at the combine, but like Jennings, all an NFL needs to do is turn on the tape to see what type of player Bituli can be: a gritty, tough inside linebacker who can help anchor your defense. 

At the very least, Bituli will get a chance as a rotational guy during the preseason for some team. It’s virtually a lock that Bituli will be a priority undrafted free agent for someone, and there’s a small chance he could get drafted near the tail end of the draft.

Warrior, meanwhile, was snubbed from the NFL combine and may not have a chance to impress teams after Tennessee’s Pro Day was postponed indefinitely. Warrior is a multidimensional piece that can play at either safety position and could fill in at nickel in a pinch. He made huge strides in his tackling and coverage during his time at Tennessee and will likely find himself fielding calls from teams as a priority free agent shortly after the draft ends.

Wood-Anderson finds himself in the most precarious situation of these six players. 

After showing only flashes at Tennessee and never being a consistent contributor to the team’s offense, he had a tough day at the combine, running a 4.92 40-yard dash. 

While Wood-Anderson has solid hands and measures well at 6-foot-4 and 258 pounds, it is going to be an uphill battle for him to find himself on an NFL roster.