Tennessee football: Ranking Vols 5 first round NFL Draft picks this decade

Nobody is surprised by this one. However, again, Eric Berry is a testament to how bad the Vols were this decade since he technically never played for Rocky Top this decade and is still the top player on the list while also being one of two players to fit that criteria.

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Still, Berry is one of the greatest players in Tennessee football history. A Jim Thorpe Award winner and two-time All-American who also made Freshman All-American, Berry had to labor through the transition years from Phillip Fulmer to Lane Kiffin.

Berry helped the Vols win the SEC East in 2007 in a big way, and he became the best all-around defender UT had seen in a while. It was clear that a team would use a high pick on him, and the Kansas City Chiefs did just that.

Despite missing 2011 due to a season-ending injury, 2014 due to an illness and 2017 and 2018 due to another injury, Berry has still managed to become a superstar in the league. Every full season he’s played, he’s made All-Pro.

The guy also proved himself to be an inspiration by coming back from Lymphoma in 2015. Simply put, he’s everything you want in a player and has more than validated his high NFL Draft selection, even with the injury issues.

Right now, Berry is a free agent. His time in Kansas City has come to an end, but that doesn’t change the fact that he is the greatest Vol taken in the first-round of the NFL Draft this decade. And he has represented Tennessee football well, also being the first Vol taken in the draft this decade. It’s easy to see why he tops this list.