The 2024 NFL Draft is here, and we will learn where a few Tennessee football players will spend the first couple of years of their NFL careers. Throughout this draft tracker, you can find information about this year's draft and keep up with where former Tennessee players are being drafted.
Josh Heupel and the Vols are sending six players into this year's NFL Draft, and we could see at least most of them, if not all of them, get drafted by the end of the weekend. It's nothing new to have Tennessee football players drafted into the NFL. The Vols had the second-most draft picks through the first three rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Most notably, we saw former Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker get drafted by the Detroit Lions. Hooker got the call that he was going to be an NFL player with Joe Milton sitting next to him. We could see Milton get the call in this year's draft next to Hooker, with the draft being down the road from Hooker.
Tennessee football 2024 NFL Draft picks
1. Jaylen Wright — Miami Dolphins, Rd: 4 Pk: 120
2. Joe Milton III — New England Patriots, Rd: 6 Pk: 193
3. Kamal Hadden — Kansas City Chiefs, Rd: 6 Pk: 211
The highest-rated Tennessee player in this year's draft is running back Jaylen Wright. He falls in the second to third-round range, with some mock drafts having him drafted in the middle of the second round.
The second highest-rated prospect from Rocky Top is cornerback Kamal Hadden, followed by quarterback Joe Milton III and tight end McCallan Castles. All three players are projected to be day three picks, with Castles being the least likely to be drafted.
It's doubtful a Vol will be drafted in the first round of this year's draft unless a lot changes with the team's need for a running back late in the first round. Wright is the only player remotely close to the first round, so he would be the only player who could be drafted in round one.
When is the draft, and where to watch it?
Every year, the NFL Draft spans three days, starting on Thursday. This year, the first round will occur on Thursday, April 25, at 8 p.m. ET. Rounds two and three will follow on Friday, April 26, at 7 p.m. ET. Day three will be on Saturday at noon ET.
The 2024 NFL Draft is heading to the Motor City. The Detroit Lions will be the "host team" this year, and the draft will be held in Detroit, Michigan, at Hart Plaza in Downtown Detroit. Hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide attend the free event every year, and no different is expected this year.
You can watch this year's draft on various platforms. ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network will all offer unique broadcasts.
How many draft picks are in the 2024 NFL Draft?
There will be 257 picks in this year's NFL Draft. The Chicago Bears will be the first team on the clock, and the New York Jets will be the final team on the clock with pick No. 257 unless there is a trade for the final pick in the draft.
With 257 picks in the draft, three of the four Vols in this year's draft have a great opportunity to be drafted. Castles is the only Tennessee player in this year's draft ranked outside the top 257 players. Castles is ranked 331, according to NFL Draft Buzz.
The first round of the NFL Draft is typically a traditional draft, with each team having one pick for a total of 32 picks. However, with trades, this year's draft has been shaken up quite a bit, with not every team being featured on night one.
Day two features rounds two and three of the draft. Round two follows the same trend as round one, with 32 picks in that round. Things shake up a bit with round three, though, as there are 37 total picks in the third round of the draft. The first three rounds are 100 picks in total.
Round four will feature 35 draft picks, round five has 41 picks, round six has 44 picks, and round seven wraps everything up with 37 picks.
Tennessee football will look to send a few more Vols to the NFL in this year's draft. The Vols have sent 384 Tennessee players to the NFL through the draft since 1936, with the second-most draft picks through the first three rounds in the 2023 NFL draft.