Seven Tennessee Football players have received an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine, which will be held in Indianapolis from March 2-March 6.
The seven Vols who earned invites are below.
QB Hendon Hooker
WR Cedric Tillman
WR Jalin Hyatt
OL Darnell Wright
DE Byron Young
LB Jeremy Banks
P Paxton Brooks
The NFL Scouting Combine serves as another crucial step in the draft process for the NFL hopefuls. Four Vols took part in the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, as Alontae Taylor, Velus Jones Jr., Matthew Butler and Cade Mays all represented UT in Indianapolis.
Hooker, Wright and Young were at the Reese’s Senior Bowl earlier this month. Young and Wright played in the game while the injured Hooker got the chance to improve his draft stock by meeting with all 32 NFL teams. Banks was the fourth Vol out of the seven to play in a draft-prep bowl, as the linebacker participated in the East West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas.
Tennessee’s seven Combine invites were the fifth-most in the SEC and ninth in all of college football. Alabama leads the way in the SEC with 13, Georgia is second with 12, and LSU and Florida are tied for third with nine. The other four teams sending more players than UT are Michigan, TCU, Clemson and Ohio State. The Wolverines and Horned Frogs are each sending nine players while the Tigers and Buckeyes are sending eight each.
The entire list of Combine invitees can be found here.
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Outside of Hooker, Wright, Young and Banks, Jerome Carvin and Princeton Fant have also been involved with offseason workouts. Both players participated in the East West Shrine Bowl with Banks.
The Scouting Combine will serve as the first opportunity for 2022 Biletnikoff Winner Jalin Hyatt to showcase his talents for NFL scouts. Tennessee’s game against Vanderbilt was the last time Hyatt played in any form on television. The same goes for fellow wide receiver Cedric Tillman, who opted to not play in the Orange Bowl and the Senior Bowl.
Hooker will once again not be able to take part in the on-field drills as he continues to rehab his torn ACL, but the Scouting Combine is yet another opportunity for the 25-year-old to meet with NFL coaches and improve his draft stock.
In the latest mock drafts by CBS Sports, draft expert Ryan Wilson has Jalin Hyatt going off the board at 29th overall to the New Orleans Saints, while fellow draft expert Chris Trapasso has Hyatt going 21st overall to the Los Angeles Chargers. Additionally, Trapasso sees the Baltimore Ravens trading up to select Darnell Wright at 13th overall.
