Tennessee football: Ranking Vols by landing spots after 2021 NFL Draft

Signed as undrafted free agent

He may not have gone drafted, but Bryce Thompson went to the place where undervalued Tennessee football players go to thrive. That alone could have put him on top, but he also filled a major void as well with the franchise that took him.

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Cornerback was considered a day one need for the New Orleans Saints entering the NFL Draft, but Paulson Adebo from the Stanford Cardinal was the only player selected at that position in the draft. It’s clear that Sean Payton and co. were looking to find unheralded talent on the free agent market, and that means they’ll give Thompson a look.

A key part of New Orleans’ success under Payton has been when the defense creates turnovers via interceptions. They have struggled a lot in the past and almost always give up lots of yards, but interceptions can offset that. Well, the 5’11” 190-pound defensive back out of Dutch Fork High School in South Carolina had eight interceptions in three years.

Simply put, Thompson fits the profile of exactly what New Orleans needs in a quarterback. Then there’s the Saints’ track record with UT players. They found a steal in Alvin Kamara, taking him in the third round of the 2017 draft. Then they signed Shy Tuttle and Marquez Callaway in 2019 and 2020 respectively as undrafted free agents. All three players are still there.

New Orlean’s history with Tennessee football players alone will give them an incentive to give Thompson a fair shot. That combined with his abilities and the Saints’ needs means he had the best landing spot despite going undrafted.