To the surprise of many, Tennessee running back Alvin Kamara was still on the board when the second round elapsed in Philadelphia on Friday evening.
It didn’t take long for him to jump off the board in the third round, however.
The New Orleans Saints traded up to pick No. 67 overall, the third pick in the third round, to grab Kamara and make him the second Tennessee player to be selected this weekend after Derek Barnett went in the first round on Thursday.
Kamara joins a talented, but aging, backfield in New Orleans. Veteran Mark Ingram is under contract through 2019 and is expected to be the starter. But the Saints also added 32-year old Adrian Peterson this offseason on a two-year deal, giving Kamara plenty of competition in the backfield.
But Kamara, who finished his two-year UT career with 1,296 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, brings a slightly different dimension to New Orleans with his athleticism and special teams abilities as well.
He is the highest selected running back out of Tennessee since Montario Hardesty went to the Browns in the second round of the 2010 draft.
