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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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ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 26: The 2018 NFL Draft logo is seen on a video board during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 26: The 2018 NFL Draft logo is seen on a video board during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

2018 Round 6 No. 198. Khalil McKenzie. 10. player. Pick Analysis. Defensive Tackle. 124. Scouting Report

Draft Grade: C-

A five-star Tennessee football legacy product that joined the team in 2015, Khalil McKenzie never grew into the player many hoped he’d be on Rocky Top. To be fair, as he began to emerge in 2017, the program fell apart. He finished his tenure in Knoxville, Tenn. with five and a half tackles for a loss, three sacks, two pass deflections, a forced fumble and 72 tackles, 31 of which were solo.

After forgoing his senior season, the Kansas City Chiefs drafted McKenzie intending to turn the him into an offensive lineman. However, they aborted the project in McKenzie’s second year in the league and waved him in 2019.

From there, the Concord Calif. native spent two stints on the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad roster and time in the XFL with the DC Defenders and Los Angeles Wildcats. In the summer of 2020, Mackenzie tried out for the Cincinnati Bengals and earned a spot on the active roster as a defensive tackle.

Though he registered eight tackles in seven games for the Bengals in 2020, Mackenzie never saw action with the Chiefs, who used a sixth-round pick on the UT product. You can’t say he hasn’t earned his reps in the NFL, but that doesn’t make him a great pick for the team that selected him. Mackenzie is set to make $850,000 in 2021, adding to the $675,000 he made last year in Cincy.

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