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Tennessee football: Draft grades for every Vol selected since 2017

By Dean Zulkofske

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 21: Derek Barnett #96 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Lincoln Financial Field on October 21, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 21: Derek Barnett #96 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Lincoln Financial Field on October 21, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – AUGUST 18: Jauan Jennings #17 of the San Francisco 49ers makes a reception as Jamar Taylor #32 defends during training camp at the SAP Performance Facility on August 18, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – AUGUST 18: Jauan Jennings #17 of the San Francisco 49ers makes a reception as Jamar Taylor #32 defends during training camp at the SAP Performance Facility on August 18, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) /

Entering this Thursday’s 2021 NFL Draft, only 11 college football programs have had more players drafted than UT. Tennessee football‘s list of 348 players selected is top 15 in the nation and could grow to 352 by the time this weekend is over.

As we celebrate the accomplishments of the four NFL-bound Vols’ in this year’s draft cycle, it’s also nice to take a look back on some of the success other former Vol standouts have had in previous cycles. Today, we’ll deal out draft grades for every Vol selected since 2017.

Included within these rankings are only the 11 players that have entered the NFL via the annual draft each spring. For that reason, former Tennessee football players acquired as undrafted free agents such as Marquez Callaway, Emmanuel Mosely and Shy Tuttle that have had profound impacts on their teams, are not listed in these rankings.

Also, note that these are draft grades we’d give to the team that selected the players listed. Players like Rashaan Gaulden and Khalil Mackenzie are no longer with the teams that selected them, and while they’re providing value to the team they currently play for, that doesn’t mean they were a good selection by the team that called their name.

The Vols could see as many as four players drafted at this year’s event in Cleveland, Ohio as Brandon Kennedy, Bryce Thompson, Josh Palmer and Trey Smith have all declared for the 2021 NFL Draft. Here’s how some of the Tennessee football players drafted before them are doing in the league, today.

Wide Receiver. 2020 Round 7 No. 217. 11. player. Pick Analysis. 42. Scouting Report. Jauan Jennings

Draft Grade: C-

Don’t overthink this one, Vol fans. Jauan Jennings is the only UT player on this list that didn’t make the team he was drafted by. Keep in mind that Marquez Callaway, who went undrafted the same year as Jennings, made the Saints roster and gave them a handful of meaningful snaps in 2020.

As a redshirt senior in 2019, Jennings was the glue that held Rocky Top together. He caught 59 passes for 969 yards and eight touchdowns en route to the Gator Bowl Championship in Jacksonville, Fla. Despite his convincing production in Knoxville, Jennings could not break into a 49ers lineup that dealt with multiple wide receiver injuries last season.

This isn’t to say that Jennings won’t succeed in the NFL, nor are we saying that the 7th-round pick San Francisco used was a waste. But as we rank these former Vols, Jennings has a lot left to prove. On the bright side, the Niners signed him to a futures/reserve contract earlier this year, so it appears they are giving Jennings another chance to prove himself.

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