There’s no doubt that Parys Haralson tops all former Tennessee football players drafted by the San Francisco 49ers based on NFL success. This guy was a staple for them up front for years and a huge part of their resurgence in the early 2010s under Jim Harbaugh.
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Haralson became a staple on the Vols’ defensive line his final two years, and he was part of that 2005 defense that was historically great and completely wasted due to the horrendous offense. Still, he had 17 tackles for a loss and eight and a half sacks that year, and he also forced three fumbles. He also had a defensive touchdown against the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2004.
Anyway, the 6’0″ 255-pound defensive end’s high level of production over those final two years got him taken by the San Francisco 49ers late in the 2005 draft. He very quickly proved to be a steal, appearing in seven games as a rookie and becoming a regular starter by 2006.
After laboring for years under incompetency, he finally became part of a relevant organization when Harbaugh arrived. During that time, he was the feature defensive end. In 2013, Haralson went to the New Orleans Saints and helped them get back to the playoffs by revitalizing their defense that year. His final season was 2014.
Over nine years in the pros, Haralson appeared in 118 games and had 88 starts. He finished his career with 275 total tackles, 28 sacks and 49 tackles for a loss overall. So he was highly productive and represented Tennessee football well in the pros after being taken by the San Francisco 49ers late in the 2005 NFL Draft.