The NFL sent 321 invites to its annual scouting combine on Tuesday afternoon including three to former Tennessee football players. Quarterback Joe Milton III, running back Jaylen Wright and cornerback Kamal Hadden all earned invites to the NFL Combine.
Milton spent one season as Tennessee’s full-time starting quarterback and completed 65% of his passes for 2,813 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions during the 2023 season. The big armed quarterback had a six-year college career that saw him transfer from Michigan to Tennessee, earn the starting job to start the 2021 season before losing the job to Hendon Hooker after suffering an injury.
The 6-foot-5,2 35-pound quarterback did not play like a NFL draft prospect but does possess a number of desired qualities— most notably his big arm. After struggling at the Reese’s Senior Bowl earlier this month, Milton needs to impress at the combine and a Tennessee’s Pro Day.
Wright declared for the NFL Draft after a breakout junior season in Knoxville that saw him total 1,013 yards on just 137 carries to go along with four touchdowns. The North Carolina native’s steady improvement was clear in his three-years in Knoxville and he capped off his college career by becoming Tennessee’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Jalen Hurd in 2015.
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Wright missed the Senior Bowl (which took juniors this season) due to injury so will be eager to impress at the NFL Combine. In a weak running back draft class, Wright is the most likely former Vol to be drafted.
Hadden was one of the breakout stars of Tennessee’s defense during the 2023 season before suffering a season ending shoulder injury in the first half of the Vols’ loss at Alabama. A junior college transfer, Hadden was a rotational corner in his first two seasons in Knoxville before becoming Tennessee’s best corner in 2023.
The Michigan native had a crucial pick six in Tennessee’s win over South Carolina and 90.4 PFF coverage grade ranked as the second-best in the SEC in the fifth best in the nation.
The 2024 NFL Combine is from Feb. 26 to March 4 in Indianapolis.
