In his preview of the NFL Draft, Mel Kiper Jr. ranks three Vermonts……..

The NFL Draft is quickly approaching. Under head coach Josh Heupel, Tennessee has dispatched a number of players to the professional ranks, and more may follow in the offseason. Three former Tennessee Volunteers were placed inside the positional big board by ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. His article is available in its entirety on ESPN+.

The star of the show was running back Jaylen Wright, who according to Kiper ranks as the sixth best back in this class. Dane Brugler of The Athletic made a comparison between Wright and former Cincinnati running back Jerome Ford. This season, Ford amassed over 1,000 all-purpose yards while playing for the Cleveland Browns. This season, Wright flourished with the Vols, becoming the team’s first 1,000-yard rusher since the 2015 campaign.

Joe Milton III, the quarterback, has all the makings of a good player at the next level; all he needs to do is put it all together. Though he still has some work to do, NFL scouts are more interested in Milton this offseason than they were last. Milton will play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and Kiper has him ranked as his No. 9 quarterback. McCallan Castles, a tight end, was Kiper’s eighth-ranked fullback/H-back in the class. Castles had a successful single season at Rocky Top, hauling in 22 passes for 283 yards and five scores, including one versus Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.

QB Joe Milton III of the Tennessee Volunteers during the Vanderbilt victory. (Photo courtesy of News Sentinel user Saul Young)