In 2023, Tennessee football enjoyed yet another successful season, finishing 9-4 and defeating Iowa 35-0 in the Citrus Bowl. That accomplishment was largely due to Tennessee’s seniors. The Vols have a few stars in the 2024 class, whether it’s via leadership on or off the field.
NFL scouts from all 32 NFL teams attended Tennessee’s Pro Day to observe the Vols’ senior class as they demonstrated their talent and athleticism in combine workouts. Particularly, Joe Milton, the quarterback, and Kamal Hadden, the cornerback, stood out.
Even though Hadden’s season-ending injury is still bothering him, he managed to put on another strong showing following his NFL Combine presentation. He was the only one.
Hadden is a “big cover corner with the athletic talent and skill set to employ in a variety of coverages,” according to NFL analyst Lance Zeirlein. Hadden can be a little tight in his transitions when attempting to just mirror and match the release, but he possesses the feet and muscle to reroute routes from press. He timing-wise predicts route breaks and steams in to break up throws. Hadden developed his coverage squeeze in 2023 and has good size and ball skills. He may view his stock jump as an eventual starting wide corner if he stays healthy and performs well.”
Even while those aren’t cornerback draft pick numbers, they do show how far Hadden has come in his recuperation from his injuries. It was surprising how much his covering and play-making skills improved in 2023 after his unimpressive 2022 outings. NFL teams appear to enjoy his aggressiveness and ability to make plays. If he keeps going in the right path, NFL draft research also projects him to be a starter.
The main attraction of this year’s pro day was Milton. His strongest suit is his arm strength; his entire pro day performance has been predicated on him hitting receivers across Tennessee’s indoor practice facility with passes longer than seventy yards.
He did not run in the 40-yard sprint at the NFL Combine, but he did run a 4.56-second time. That would put him right behind Kedon Slovis of BYU, who finished first in the combine’s 40-yard dash with a time of 4.55 seconds. Even though he outran his opponents in this year’s draft with remarkable speed, his real strength is his arm talent.
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