Tennessee Football: Vols had strong showing at the NFL Combine, more
By Blake Wyman
Tennessee Football made an impressive showing at the NFL Combine this past weekend.
The NFL Combine extended over the last four days in Indianapolis. It’s a weekend where the best college football players are given the opportunity to show who they are. Some players dominate the combine, and their draft stock goes through the roof, and sometimes it can crash. It was a very successful weekend for the Vols, and the 7 Volunteers that attended showcased their skills at the highest level in front of the NFL scouts.
Tennessee football – NFL Combine breakdown
All statistics are according to the official NFL Combine Website:
Tennessee Football Prospect Stats:
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 250 pounds
- Hand: 9 1/4 inches
- Arm: 32 1/2 inches
- Wingspan: N/A
Event Stats (Ranking among DL):
- 40-yard dash: 4.43 seconds (2nd)
- 10-second split: 1.62 seconds (8th)
- Vertical jump: 38 inches (2nd)
- Broad jump: 11 feet (1st)
- Three-cone drill: 7.19 seconds (4th)
- 20-yard shuttle: N/A
- Bench press (225 pounds): 22 reps
NFL.com grade:
"6.15 – Good backup with potential to develop into starter/3rd-4th round pick"
NFL.com Scouting Report according to NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein:
"“An explosive edge defender with disruptive play qualities, Young is still in the process of learning how to play his position. His rush hands lack skill and he’s missing go-to counters, but that could be coachable for him. He creates chaos when using his twitchy first step to slant and twist but still needs to tune up the stack-and-shed technique and build out a cohesive rush approach. He will be a 25-year-old rookie with a lack of polish for his age, which could be a deterrent for some teams, but a fully fueled motor and strong desire to make plays on the other side of the line of scrimmage give him a shot to become a capable pro.”"
Tennessee Football Prospect Stats:
- Height: 6-foot-1
- Weight: 232 pounds
- Hand: 9 1/2 inches
- Arm: 32 inches
- Wingspan: N/A
Event Stats (Ranking among LB):
- 40-yard dash: 4.53 seconds (7th)
- 10-second split: 1.56 seconds (8th)
- Vertical jump: 37.5 inches (2nd)
- Broad jump: 10 feet, 7 inches (3rd)
- Three-cone drill: 7.27 seconds (4th)
- 20-yard shuttle: 4.38 seconds (3rd)
- Bench press (225 pounds): 25 reps
NFL.com grade:
"5.94 – Average backup or special-teamer/5th-7th round pick"
NFL.com Scouting Report according to NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein:
"“Inside linebacker who makes up for being slightly undersized with physicality. Banks’ instincts and recognition improved in 2022, but he can still get better in those areas. He plays with below-average short-area twitch and just modest pursuit speed from sideline to sideline but will hit and wrap what is in front of him. He’s a likely two-down backup who might come off the field on passing downs but run back out for special teams reps.”"
Tennessee Football Prospect Stats:
- Height: 6-foot-5
- Weight: 201 pounds
- Hand: 9 3/4 inches
- Arm: 31 1/2 inches
- Wingspan: N/A
NFL.com grade:
"5.60 – Candidate for bottom of roster or practice squad/Priority free agent"
NFL.com Scouting Report according to NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein:
"“Long-levered punter with loads of experience for the Vols. Brooks has modest leg strength relative to many of the NFL punters we see, but he can kick with hang-time and has excellent touch to drop it inside the opposition’s 20-yard line. Brooks will need to prove he can boom a few punts to create confidence in teams who already like his touch.”"
Tennessee Football Prospect Stats:
- Height: 6-foot-3
- Weight: 217 pounds
- Hand: 10 1/2 inches
- Arm: 33 inches
- Wingspan: N/A
NFL.com grade:
"6.23 – Will eventually be average starter/2nd-3rd round pick"
NFL.com Scouting Report according to NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein:
"“Hooker’s age and ACL tear will be starting points for many draft conversations, but the most important question to be answered is whether he can thrive outside of the Tennessee offense. Hooker was frequently a half-field reader, which means he could lean on spacing, speed and/or route combinations to make life easier. He’s more accurate outside the numbers than between the hashes and his deep ball placement was much more uneven than expected. However, Hooker plays with excellent poise and footwork as a pocket passer. He will make quarterback coaches and play-callers happy with his adherence to keeping plays on schedule. He’s still showing signs of improvement and growth at the position, and his ability to hurt teams with his legs creates opportunities to help his offense outside of what he does in the pocket. His recovery from the ACL tear will require monitoring, but he has the talent to become a starter in a timing-based, spread offense.”"
Tennessee Football Prospect Stats:
- Height: 6-foot
- Weight: 176 pounds
- Hand: 9 inches
- Arm: 32 1/2 inches
- Wingspan: 6 feet, 5 5/8 inches
Event Stats (Ranking among WR):
- 40-yard dash: 4.40 seconds (6th)
- 10-second split: 1.50 seconds (6th)
- Vertical jump: 40 inches (4th)
- Broad jump: 11 feet, 3 inches (1st)
- Three-cone drill: N/A
- 20-yard shuttle: N/A
- Bench press (225 pounds): N/A
NFL.com grade:
"6.50 – Boom-or-bust potential/Likely 1st round pick"
NFL.com Scouting Report according to NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein:
"“Long, slender wideout with deep speed that could force defensive coordinators to alter coverage considerations. Hyatt’s gliding gait disguises explosive acceleration that can lead to easy separation on deep throws. However, he does display inconsistency on contested catches comes. Hyatt is ordinary getting in and out of intermediate breaks and might be best with a limited route tree full of slants, crossers and a series of field-stretching patterns. Hyatt is an instantly credible WR2 with the ability to make a huge impact, but production could be erratic due to the limitations of his game.”"
Tennessee Football Prospect Stats:
- Height: 6-foot-3
- Weight: 213 pounds
- Hand: 10 inches
- Arm: 32 3/4 inches
- Wingspan: N/A
Event Stats (Ranking among WR):
- 40-yard dash: 4.54 seconds (27th)
- 10-second split: 1.53 seconds (20th)
- Vertical jump: 37 inches (16th)
- Broad jump: 10 feet, 8 inches (15th)
- Three-cone drill: N/A
- 20-yard shuttle: N/A
- Bench press (225 pounds): N/A
NFL.com grade:
"6.38 – Will eventually be plus starter/1st-2nd round pick"
NFL.com Scouting Report according to NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein:
"“Highly competitive wideout with an enticing blend of size, skill and toughness that fits what teams look for in an NFL starter. Tillman was a monster in 2021, ringing up impressive performances against the likes of Alabama and Georgia. He proved he could catch the ball through contact underneath while imposing his size and ball skills on opponents when pulling in the deep ball. He has average speed and needs to play with better explosiveness out of his breaks, as NFL windows will become much tighter on the first two levels. A high ankle sprain suffered in the third game of the season robbed him of a highly productive 2022, but his toughness to make it back early and compete late in the year has impressed evaluators.”"
Tennessee Football Prospect Stats:
- Height: 6-foot-5
- Weight: 333 pounds
- Hand: 9 inches
- Arm: 33 3/4 inches
- Wingspan: N/A
Event Stats (Ranking among OL):
- 40-yard dash: 5.01 seconds (6th)
- 10-second split: 1.81 seconds (20th)
- Vertical jump: 29 inches (21st)
- Broad jump: 9 feet, 6 inches (3rd)
- Three-cone drill: N/A
- 20-yard shuttle: N/A
- Bench press (225 pounds): N/A
NFL.com grade:
"6.34 – Will eventually be plus starter/1st-2nd round pick"
Scouting Report according to NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein:
"“Right tackle prospect who used his size and power to overcome athletic limitations and spotty technique on the collegiate level. The tape can be a little uneven for Wright with poor block finishes followed up by aggressive pancakes. He played with much better body control and footwork in 2022, though. Wright is capable of staying at right tackle at the next level provided he’s given protection help from time to time. While he was often a positional blocker at Tennessee, he’s a very talented drive blocker when allowed to fire out. There will be inconsistent outings, but Wright should develop into a decent starting tackle with the potential to kick inside if necessary.”"
Next. Recap of the Vols transfer portal pickups, more. dark