KNOXVILLE, Tennessee – On the last day of the 2024 NFL Draft, three Tennessee football players were chosen, bringing the Volunteers’ three-year total under head coach Josh Heupel to thirteen.
All-SEC running back Jaylen Wright was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 120th overall pick in the fourth round; quarterback Joe Milton III was selected by the New England Patriots with the 193rd overall pick in the sixth round; and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs selected cornerback Kamal Hadden with the 211th overall pick in the sixth round.
Tennessee delivered the highest drafted running back in the conference with another Wright, one year after Darnell Wright became the SEC’s most highly-picked offensive lineman.
Last season, Wright oversaw the top-ranked SEC rushing attack, rushing for 1,013 yards on 137 carries, including 592 yards after contact. With at least 120 carries, he led all FBS running backs with an average of 7.39 yards per carry. It was also the second-highest total in UT single-season history.
In 2023, Wright recorded six games with 100 yards or more from the rush, which was second in the SEC. With 2,297 yards on 368 carries, he finished 13th on the UT all-time rushing yardage chart and capped his three-year career with 18 rushing touchdowns.
Jerod Mayo, the head coach of VFL New England and a 16-year Patriots selection, called Milton III. The Vols selected Hendon Hooker as their quarterback in back-to-back years.
Milton III started all twelve games during the 2023 regular season, going 229-of-354 (.647) for 2,813 yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions. His 3,112 total yards of offense were the eighth-best total in school history and the third consecutive season that a quarterback for the Vols had more than 3,000 yards in total offense. With three touchdown throws to lead the Vols against Clemson, Milton III was named the Orange Bowl MVP for 2022.
Despite missing the final six games of the season because of a shoulder injury, Hadden had the best season of his career last autumn. According to Pro Football Focus, his defensive coverage grade of 90.4 ranked him seventh in the country and second among SEC cornerbacks. Last season, Hadden did not allow a touchdown pass. He finished with 19 tackles, a team-high three interceptions, and eight pass breakups, good for sixth in the SEC.
At a watch party with relatives and friends just outside of Detroit, Michigan—the site of the draft—Haden experienced the moment that would change his life.
Vols who were not selected in the draft can now sign free agent contracts with teams.
Round (Pick), Name, Position, Team, Tennessee NFL Draft Selections 4 (120), Miami Dolphins 6 (193), Jaylen Wright, RB
NFL Draft Notes for Tennessee
Under head coach Josh Heupel, Tennessee has produced eight offensive players in total, including multiple offensive picks in the last three rounds.
Since the 2022 NFL Draft, 13 players have been selected in the Josh Heupel era. The Vols have selected 14 players in three years, the most since 2006–08.
With the three draft choices in all, Tennessee now has 387 draft picks in its history, going all the way back to 1936. The AFL Draft, which merged in 1967, is included in that mark.
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