The 2018 NFL Combine has come and gone, and the Vols had four players attend and go through the measurements and drills. And according to one prominent NFL draft analyst, three of those four players will be selected in the upcoming 2018 NFL Draft.
Matt Miller, the chief NFL Draft analyst for Bleacher Report, released his post-NFL Combine mock draft on Tuesday. He made predictions for all seven rounds of the draft, and he has three Vols getting selected in this year’s draft.
According to Miller, defensive back Rashaan Gaulden will be the first Vol to be taken in this year’s draft. Miller has Gaulden being selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round with the 114th overall pick.
The next Vol to be drafted according to Miller will be John Kelly, and Miller believes he’ll be taken in the fifth round with the No. 146 overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks. And the third and final Vol to make Miller’s seven round mock draft is Kahlil McKenzie. Miller has McKenzie being drafted early in the sixth round with the 178th overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts.
Last year, the Vols had six players drafted into the NFL, and all six were drafted within the first 150 overall picks. If Miller’s predictions come true, the Vols will have two players selected within the first 150 picks in this year’s draft.
The Vols had a cornerback and running back drafted in last year’s NFL draft in Cam Cutton and Alvin Kamara respectively. But the last Vol defensive tackle to be drafted was Daniel McCullers in the 2014 draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers took him in the sixth round with the 215th overall pick. McKenzie is looking to be the first Vol defensive tackle since McCullers to be drafted.
The 2018 NFL Draft will run from April 26th through April 28th. Round 1 will take place Thursday, rounds 2 and 3 will take place Friday, and rounds 4-7 will take place Saturday. Vol fans will likely have to wait till Saturday to see any former Vols drafted this year, though.
