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Tennessee football: Vols five deepest NFL Draft classes with no first-round picks

By Caleb Calhoun

IRVING, TX - NOVEMBER 15: Tight end Jason Witten #82 of the Dallas Cowboys makes a touchdown pass reception against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter on November 15, 2004 at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
IRVING, TX - NOVEMBER 15: Tight end Jason Witten #82 of the Dallas Cowboys makes a touchdown pass reception against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter on November 15, 2004 at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Michael J. Minardi/Getty Images
Photo by Michael J. Minardi/Getty Images /

3. 1990

Johnny Majors

Number of NFL Draft picks: 6

  • Reggie Cobb, RB (Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Round 2, Pick 30)
  • Marion Hobby, DL (Minnesota Vikings: Round 3, Pick 74)
  • Eric Still, OL (Houston Oilers: Round 4, Pick 99)
  • Tracy Hayworth, LB (Detroit Lions: Round 7, Pick 174)
  • Kent Elmore, P (Los Angeles Rams: Round 7, Pick 190)
  • Thomas Woods, WR (Miami Dolphins: Round 8, Pick 205)

In terms of depth, this is one of Tennessee football’s deepest classes, and it made sense. The Vols were coming off an SEC Championship, 11-1 record and top five finish in 1989. That was the first year of their historically great 16-year run of the modern era, which included four SEC titles and a national title in the mid-1990s.

However, the true talent behind these early teams were the guys who would come out after 1990 and 1991. That was evident. Reggie Cobb had the best career of anybody on here, lasting seven years. Tracy Hayworth helped out, though by playing six years. Both had solid careers. Marion Hobby added three years.

Cobb had been dismissed from the Vols in the middle of the 1989 season, but he had been such a long producer for them that he still counts. Although this class has the same number of people taken as the 1966 class, this eone had players taken slightly higher.

The highest pick here was 30, and the lowest was 205, while the highest 1966 was 40, and the lowest was 235. That’s why we rank this class slightly higher, even if the actual pro production wasn’t as evident.

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