Tennessee football: Ranking Vols 5 first round NFL Draft picks this decade
Wide Receiver. Minnesota Vikings (2013 NFL Draft: Pick 29). Cordarrelle Patterson. 2. player. 60.
It’s crazy enough how loaded Tennessee football was on the offensive line in 2012, as we mentioned. But they also had a quarterback with a big arm in Tyler Bray, and then they had elite skill players, led by this guy.
More from Vols Football
- How to Win a GUARANTEED $200 Bonus Betting Just $5 on the Vols vs. Florida!
- Tennessee Football at Florida: Five Keys to a Vols Victory
- Week 3 SEC Power Rankings: Did Tennessee Football’s Win Help At All?
- Week 3 AP Polls: Why Did Tennessee Football Drop in the Polls?
- Tennessee Football: Top Five Performers in 30-13 Win vs. Austin Peay
Cordarrelle Patterson was a junior college transfer for the Vols and came in immediately looking to make in impact in 2012. The dismissal of Da’Rick Rogers only made that more evident. But the level of his impact was still shocking.
Arguably the best player UT ever had with the ball in his hands, Patterson had 46 receptions for 778 yards and five touchdowns. He added 25 carries for 308 yards and three touchdowns. That meant 1,081 total yards from scrimmage.
Add in his 24 kickoff returns for 671 yards and a touchdown and his four punt returns for 101 yards and a touchdown, and his yards from scrimmage was complement by 10 total touchdowns. Of course this was enough to earn him a first-round selection in the NFL Draft, and the Minnesota Vikings picked him up.
Related Story. Top 10 former Vols to win Super Bowls the past decade. light
Patterson has since enjoyed a career with the Vikings, the Oakland Raiders and most recently the New England Patriots, where he won a Super Bowl. He became a two-time Pro Bowler because of his elite play with the ball in his hands and has proven himself to be a valuable weapon representing Rocky Top in the pros.