Ranking Tennessee football’s previous 10 draft classes with five picks

7. 1986

• Round 1: Tim McGee – Cincinnati Bengals (Pick 21)
• Round 6: Jeff Powell – Chicago Bears (Pick 166)
• Round 7: Eric Swanson – St. Louis Rams (Pick 170)
• Round 7: Tommy Sims – Indianapolis Colts (Pick 190)
• Round 8: David Douglas – Cincinnati Bengals (Pick 204)

On the heels of the legendary 1985 season, Tennessee football’s lack of draft picks who had long careers in the NFL the next year speaks to how much that group overachieved. One player from this list, though, has had a better career than anybody we have mentioned so far. Add in another with a solid career, and that’s why this class is above the other three.

Tim McGee was part of the string of Vols to turn the school into Wide Receiver U in the 1980s under Johnny Majors. As a first-round draft pick, he spent nine years in the pros, eight with the Cincinnati Bengals and one with Washington, playing in 134 games with 98 starts. He played in one Super Bowl and finished with 321 receptions for 5,203 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Beyond McGee, David Douglas, the last pick of this class, also had a decent career. Douglas spent five years in the pros, three with the Bengals and two with the New England Patriots, appearing in 56 games with 10 starts. Clearly, Cincy was the good luck charm for this class, and Douglas also played on that Cincy team that made the Super Bowl.

Eric Swanson did appear in nine games with the St. Louis Rams, specifically as a kick returner. Nobody else from the class ever appeared in more than one game in the pros. McGee and Douglas carry the class, but neither did enough to propel it higher on this list.