No.2 – Shy Tuttle, New Orleans Saints
When Shy Tuttle first stepped foot on Rocky Top, the fanbase was excited. Tuttle was a four-star recruit ranked 55th nationally, the ninth highest defensive tackle, and the number one prospect from North Carolina.
However, he never lived up to the hype due to all the injuries he suffered through the years. And, while that impacted his opportunity of being drafted, the New Orleans Saints still saw enough potential to sign Tuttle to a deal.
The Saints weren’t terrible on the defensive end last season ranking 14th in total defense. New Orleans did produce 49 sacks but only 12 interceptions.
We’ve already seen one former Vol Alvin Kamara succeed in the Saints system. Maybe it won’t be so different for Tuttle who has unlimited potential.
His stats don’t jump off the page due to moving to the nose in Pruitt’s 3-4 defensive scheme, but he’s still found a way to make an impact.
The Saints play a 4-3 which helps Tuttle out. If he has a good camp, which he could, you might see him stuffing the inside run game as soon as his rookie season. At best, Tuttle is a rotation guy that builds depth for a team that needs it.