NFL Draft: Former Vols John Kelly, Kahlil McKenzie taken in sixth round
Former Tennessee football players John Kelly and Kahlil McKenzie were the second and third Volunteers in the 2018 NFL Draft. Both went in the sixth round.
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The day after Rashaan Gaulden went surprisingly high in the NFL Draft, one former Tennessee football fell below his expectations while another went right where analysts predicted. Former Vols John Kelly and Kahlil McKenzie both went in Round 6 of the draft.
Kelly went first. He was the 176th pick in the draft, taken by the Los Angeles Rams. By going there, he figures to fit in on an offense that has a history of utilizing elite talent among versatile running backs. After all, Kelly will back up Todd Gurley, one of the top playmakers in the league at that position.
A three-star recruit, Kelly became a significant overachiever for Tennessee football and was one of Butch Jones’s few good decisions. After backing up Alvin Kamara and Jalen Hurd, he finally got to chance to show his stuff when Hurd transferred. He then became a sole bright spot for the Vols’ offense in 2017 with Kamara and Joshua Dobbs gone.
By backing up Gurley, Kelly has a great chance to see some action. After all, Gurley has had issues with injury in the past. So it’s likely only a matter of time before Kelly gets a chance to see the field for the Rams. He’s versatile like Gurley and also more durable, so he has a great chance to make a huge impact.
Meanwhile, McKenzie was taken with the 198th pick in the NFL Draft. He went to the Kansas City Chiefs, a division rival in the AFC West of the team where his father, Reggie McKenzie, is the general manager: The Oakland Raiders.
Once a five-star recruit and a legacy player on Rocky Top, McKenzie never lived up to his hype. However, he was showing promise halfway through the 2016 season before getting injured. He then spent the 2017 season coming off of the injury and had to deal with lots of drama. So there were numerous factors holding him back.
Also, the 6’6″ 320-pound defensive tackle is apparently a project looking to convert to offensive guard. So that’s where the Chiefs see major potential, according to Chiefs reporter BJ Kissel.
Important to note that the #Chiefs' latest draft pick, Kahlil McKenzie, was drafted to play along the offensive line. He's going to play guard. Played DL at Tennessee.
— Chiefs Reporter (@ChiefsReporter) April 28, 2018
He's also the son of #Raiders' GM Reggie McKenzie.
McKenzie and Kelly join Rashaan Gaulden as the three Vols taken in the 2018 NFL Draft. All three of them go to teams who made the playoffs this past year too, which is a unique scenario. Still, that doesn’t mean that they all won’t see action soon.
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This UT NFL Draft class was not as impressive as the one in 2017, but it still brings potential. All three of these guys left early and showed skills at one point or another in Knoxville. In the right situations, they could definitely star for their teams.