Despite no Volunteers drafted the past two years and a drought in winning, Tennessee football still has filled up NFL rosters heading into training camp.
The Tennessee Vols have gone two years without an NFL Draft pick, they went seven straight years with no more than seven wins, including a three-year stretch of going 5-7, and last year was their first Top 25 finish since 2007.
But despite all this, combined with the fact that they went through four head coaches as well, the Vols are still managing to fill up NFL rosters at the start of training camp.
According to The Tennessean, Tennessee has 30 players that were on NFL rosters at the beginning of camp.
Even recent former Vols who weren’t drafted, including Kyler Kerbyson, Brian Randolph, and Marquez North, are all getting looks on NFL rosters.
Of course, there are also the stars, including Jason Witten and Eric Berry, who deserves to get paid.
And this comes despite the retirement of two superstars from the program in the NFL: Peyton Manning and Jerod Mayo.
It also comes a year before Tennessee is expected to load up the NFL Draft.
So in general, the results are simple: the Vols have loaded up the NFL and aren’t going anywhere.
Other regular NFL players who are sure to see lots of action this year include the Colquitt brothers, Matt Darr, Arian Foster, Ramon Foster, Justin Hunter, Malik Jackson, Ja’Wuan James, Cordarrelle Patterson, Mychal Rivera, James Stone, Zach Fulton, and Dallas Thomas.
Even when they’re down, the Vols will produce NFL talent.