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Tennessee football: Five best NFL landing spots for Bryce Thompson

By Dean Zulkofske

Oct 12, 2019; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Bryce Thompson (20) celebrates in the second quarter in a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 12, 2019; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Bryce Thompson (20) celebrates in the second quarter in a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 17, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) and head coach Jon Gruden against the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) and head coach Jon Gruden against the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

1.) Las Vegas Raiders

Bryce Thompson wouldn’t be the only former Tennessee football DB suiting up in black and silver. Rashaan Gaulden is currently listed on the team’s practice squad after stints with the Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants.

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One of the worst defensive secondary units throughout the 2020 season, the Las Vegas Raiders will likely stock up on DB talent at the 2021 NFL Draft. The position group has been a point of emphasis for the Raiders since Jon Gruden accepted its head coaching responsibilities in 2018. In fact, the club has drafted at least one cornerback in every draft class since 2017.

With all of that talent, they’re sure to better than they were before Gruden threw back on the headset, right? Allowing 263 opponent passing yards per game in 2020 suggests otherwise. The unit has struggled with injuries over the last two seasons.

On top of that, depth issues have arisen following the suspension of CB Nevin Lawson for the first two games of next season. To make a long story short, Gruden and the Raiders have a DB problem in Las Vegas.

The players they’ve drafted in the past haven’t held their own, and those who do stick around find themselves injured or suspended. For a team in this situation that hasn’t made any big moves to help solve those problems this free agency, cornerbacks like Thompson could be on their radar.

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For Thompson, it’s all about breaking into the league right now. These five teams could use depth at the corner position and could look to develop the talented Tennessee football defensive back. Don’t be surprised if he makes an early impact with one of them.

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