Tennessee football: Ranking Vols by pro potential for 2022 NFL Draft
They’re not going to fill up the first round with top-notch NFL Draft picks, but Tennessee football has plenty of players coming out in 2022 who could become productive in the pros. With the draft set to kick off Thursday in Las Vegas, nine former Vols will spend the next week looking to land with a roster somewhere.
Five of those nine players have a good chance of being drafted, even as late rounders, and at least three of them are likely to be drafted. However, which ones have the best chance at success at the next level? Well, that’s what this post is going to break down.
All nine players from Rocky Top will be ranked not based on where they are expected to be drafted but how much of a chance they have to last and succeed in the pros. Given UT’s recent history of successful undrafted players, it’s obvious how different those are. Here is every Tennessee football ranked in the NFL Draft by pro potential.
Defensive back. Kenneth George Jr.. 9. 839. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Lafayette, La.. player
6’0″ 194 pounds
After joining Jeremy Pruitt’s first class out of Trinity Valley Community College, Kenneth George Jr. saw lots of production in 2019 and 2020, appearing in a combined 21 games over that time and starting in 10 of them. However, when Josh Heupel arrived and brought in Tim Banks, making the switch to a 4-3, his production dipped.
George didn’t even play 100 snaps this year. He finished the season with just five tackles, although four were solo, and one was a tackle for a loss. Anyway, that little production severely limited what he could do to prove himself as a pro prospect.
At Tennessee football’s pro day, George didn’t do anything special to up his draft stock. His best chance is a tryout with a team that runs a 3-4, where he is clearly a better fit, but he just hasn’t shown enough over the past few years to suggest he’ll make it in the pros. A 40-time north of 4.55 and barely being 6’0″ only makes it worse.