4. Josh Malone
It’s almost a foregone conclusion players on Tennessee’s roster like Derek Barnett and Alvin Kamara will declare early for the NFL draft after this season. But one player’s future isn’t as certain. A great bowl performance, however, might just be enough to push him over the edge.
Josh Malone finally had the breakout performance as a junior that Vol fans had been waiting for. In 12 games this season, Malone hauled in 45 receptions for 852 yards and 10 scores. He became the first Vol in several years to catch 10 touchdown passes, and he only needs 48 more yards to eclipse 900 receiving yards for the season, a very solid total for an SEC receiver.
If Malone goes out and has another 100-yard performance and catches another few touchdowns in Tennessee’s bowl game, his draft stock will only rise even more. If Malone truly wants to declare early, a strong bowl performance would be a huge plus for him.
