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Tennessee football’s 2021 Pro Day: Ranking the biggest winners

By Dean Zulkofske

FAYETTEVILLE, AR - NOVEMBER 7: Trey Smith #73 of the Tennessee Volunteers on the sidelines during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Razorback Stadium on November 7, 2020 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Volunteers 24-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, AR - NOVEMBER 7: Trey Smith #73 of the Tennessee Volunteers on the sidelines during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Razorback Stadium on November 7, 2020 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Volunteers 24-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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March 25 was a massive day for the Tennessee football program. Not only did the start of spring practices mark the beginning of the Josh Heupel era, but four former UT standouts took a step closer to achieving their NFL dreams.

Rocky Top’s Pro Day began on March 24, when the four draft hopefuls met with the media before workouts began: offensive lineman Trey Smith, wide receiver Josh Palmer, defensive back Bryce Thompson and offensive lineman Brandon Kennedy. As the new day broke, though all four of them were all business.

The players participated in a variety of drills and workouts, ranging from the 40-yard dash to the vertical leap and the bench press among others. While official results haven’t been released on all prospects, Tennessee’s Athletics Department released a collection of photos from the event, highlighting the different NFL organizations represented by scouts in attendance.

Though Smith, Thompson and Palmer all received invitations to the 2021 NFL Combine, the typical in-person workouts were canceled due to COVID-19. As a result, all three players had to capitalize at UT’s Pro Day with seemingly no other opportunity to go through drills face-to-face with next-level representatives.

Kennedy was a sixth-year senior last year, and while he didn’t receive a pro day invite, he’s got a great chance to land with a team when it’s all said and done. He had as much to gain from the event as the other three.

Because of their performances at the event, each player is now a better draft prospect today than they were the previous day. They should help UT avoid a common thing that has happened over the past decade, one in which no players are taken in the draft. That happened as recently as 2019, after Jeremy Pruitt’s first year.

However, as is tradition with draft season, everything demands a ranking, and this one is no different. Let’s recap Tennessee football’s pro day by breaking down who helped their chances of getting drafted the most.

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