Does Dylan Sampson Go To The NFL In 2025?

[sami]

The second contract is always the goal. I think the fact that he’s been the 2nd or 3rd guy until this year, combined with his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield will make him very attractive to NFL clubs. Now if we would use him to catch the ball out of the backfield more that would make me very happy.

And he's excellent in pass pro, a huge part of what NFL backs need to be able to do at a high lrvel.

 

[hndog609]

And he's excellent in pass pro, a huge part of what NFL backs need to be able to do at a high lrvel.

Blocking and receiving are absolutely things that can weight your worth in the NFL at the RB position.

 

[Hairy Vols]

Unless he’s making big nil money he’d be silly not to.

I think people are forgetting this. The NIL has changed things. There is a chance given his play this year, that he could make more than we would as a rookie with a proper NIL deal. I could see it going either way. If we have potential to be better next year and the money is about the same I think he stays.

 

[Carp]

I think people are forgetting this. The NIL has changed things. There is a chance given his play this year, that he could make more than we would as a rookie with a proper NIL deal. I could see it going either way. If we have potential to be better next year and the money is about the same I think he stays.

Unlikely. I can't imagine we would give a RB anywhere near the NFL rookie minimum, which is 795k.

But let's be real, he is likely getting drafted no lower than the 4th/5th round, which means he will sign a deal averaging 1 million per year. And you also have to understand that given the shelf life of NFL RBs, it is imperative to get to that 2nd contract stage as quickly as possible if you want to make some serious money. And getting their by age 25 with fewer mileage on your tires is a much better plan. If he comes back and gets a serious injury, he may not even get drafted.

 

[loosecannon]

Unlikely. I can't imagine we would give a RB anywhere near the NFL rookie minimum, which is 795k.

But let's be real, he is likely getting drafted no lower than the 4th/5th round, which means he will sign a deal averaging 1 million per year. And you also have to understand that given the shelf life of NFL RBs, it is imperative to get to that 2nd contract stage as quickly as possible if you want to make some serious money. And getting their by age 25 with fewer mileage on your tires is a much better plan. If he comes back and gets a serious injury, he may not even get drafted.

I agree. He is currently projected as a 2nd or 3rd round pick. He has to go.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

And he's excellent in pass pro, a huge part of what NFL backs need to be able to do at a high lrvel.

He’s certainly come a long way from freshman year when he almost got Hendon killed at LSU. We really need the younger guys to step up their pass pro like 6.

 

[Hairy Vols]

Unlikely. I can't imagine we would give a RB anywhere near the NFL rookie minimum, which is 795k.

But let's be real, he is likely getting drafted no lower than the 4th/5th round, which means he will sign a deal averaging 1 million per year. And you also have to understand that given the shelf life of NFL RBs, it is imperative to get to that 2nd contract stage as quickly as possible if you want to make some serious money. And getting their by age 25 with fewer mileage on your tires is a much better plan. If he comes back and gets a serious injury, he may not even get drafted.

You don’t think he can get a one year one mil NIL deal? Not so fast my friend. It’s very plausible he could get that and even more.

The rest you said is correct. And it likely would be a better idea to go as early as possible if you’re a RB BUT this is also a very strong RB class. I’ve not looked much into next years class but there is a chance he could find himself a better position next year.

My point is it is possible and we won’t know for certain until we know who is declaring and where he is ranking among them.

Money isn’t the full issue when there is a possibility he can make more with an NIL deal than he does on a rookie contract.

 

[Vawlk Tuah]

I think people are forgetting this. The NIL has changed things. There is a chance given his play this year, that he could make more than we would as a rookie with a proper NIL deal. I could see it going either way. If we have potential to be better next year and the money is about the same I think he stays.

Look at what a 4th round contract pays out and there is no way a RB not named Derrick Henry or Bo Jackson is making that.

 

[Hairy Vols]

Look at what a 4th round contract pays out and there is no way a RB not named Derrick Henry or Bo Jackson is making that.

I think Sampson could easily make that here. Or something close.

 

[Vawlk Tuah]

I think Sampson could easily make that here. Or something close.

So 800,000 a year plus 530,000 signing bonus? Nobody is paying a RB 1.35 million lol. Let's be honest, would you sign a 4 million dollar contract with a half million signing bonus on top of potential endorsement money or sign a 1 million dollar NIL deal, risk having a bad injury and tanking in the draft and getting a possible UFA? Be realistic man

 

[Hairy Vols]

So 800,000 a year plus 530,000 signing bonus? Nobody is paying a RB 1.35 million lol. Let's be honest, would you sign a 4 million dollar contract with a half million signing bonus on top of potential endorsement money or sign a 1 million dollar NIL deal, risk having a bad injury and tanking in the draft and getting a possible UFA? Be realistic man

I see your point, but I think it’s worth considering that some players might choose to stay in college if they have a strong NIL deal, like Dylan Sampson. We’re both assuming about the compensation levels since we don’t have exact figures, but it’s important to remember that not all NFL contracts are guaranteed.

For example, this year’s average 4th round picks earn about $825k per year on a four-year deal, but much of that can evaporate if a player gets waived or ends up on the practice squad.

If someone is projected as a 4th round pick, staying in college for another year could actually lead to better financial opportunities, especially with the rising prominence of NIL deals. College football players often have strong connections with fans, and it’s easier to land local promotion deals as a standout player than as a relatively unknown practice squad member in the NFL.

Making an NFL roster is incredibly tough, and many talented college players struggle to even stick around for a second year. Yes, if you’re a guaranteed first-round pick, you should go. But for those mid-tier Power 5 players with solid NIL opportunities, staying could be more beneficial.

so it’s not as guaranteed as you imply.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

I see your point, but I think it’s worth considering that some players might choose to stay in college if they have a strong NIL deal, like Dylan Sampson. We’re both assuming about the compensation levels since we don’t have exact figures, but it’s important to remember that not all NFL contracts are guaranteed.

For example, this year’s average 4th round picks earn about $825k per year on a four-year deal, but much of that can evaporate if a player gets waived or ends up on the practice squad.

If someone is projected as a 4th round pick, staying in college for another year could actually lead to better financial opportunities, especially with the rising prominence of NIL deals. College football players often have strong connections with fans, and it’s easier to land local promotion deals as a standout player than as a relatively unknown practice squad member in the NFL.

Making an NFL roster is incredibly tough, and many talented college players struggle to even stick around for a second year. Yes, if you’re a guaranteed first-round pick, you should go. But for those mid-tier Power 5 players with solid NIL opportunities, staying could be more beneficial.

so it’s not as guaranteed as you imply.

The quicker you get in the league, the better. It's not the rookie contract but the second contract that matters. Taking the "short money" of NIL in college is trading your LAST year contract in the NFL assuming running backs wear out pretty fast.

The other reason to get in the league is retirement. The longer you are in the league, the better it gets when you retire. NIL can't come close to that.

College will remain little brother to getting in the NFL because the money tossed around because of the players union and revenue sharing of a huge amount of money the NFL generates makes college look tiny.

 

[Vawlk Tuah]

I see your point, but I think it’s worth considering that some players might choose to stay in college if they have a strong NIL deal, like Dylan Sampson. We’re both assuming about the compensation levels since we don’t have exact figures, but it’s important to remember that not all NFL contracts are guaranteed.

For example, this year’s average 4th round picks earn about $825k per year on a four-year deal, but much of that can evaporate if a player gets waived or ends up on the practice squad.

If someone is projected as a 4th round pick, staying in college for another year could actually lead to better financial opportunities, especially with the rising prominence of NIL deals. College football players often have strong connections with fans, and it’s easier to land local promotion deals as a standout player than as a relatively unknown practice squad member in the NFL.

Making an NFL roster is incredibly tough, and many talented college players struggle to even stick around for a second year. Yes, if you’re a guaranteed first-round pick, you should go. But for those mid-tier Power 5 players with solid NIL opportunities, staying could be more beneficial.

so it’s not as guaranteed as you imply.

A RB would be an idiot to do so. Flat out, it's hard as hell to get a second contract as a RB. Take the money and go. Let the fans live in fantasy land because that's what we all do

 

[Vawlk Tuah]

I also said fourth round to use the lowest pick possible for Sampson. He's likely a 3rd round to late 2nd round guy. No NIL can come close to that money and also pay high end transfers. Would you rather spend 2 million on a running back or split that on high end ready to play tackles to protect Nico?

 

[Hairy Vols]

The quicker you get in the league, the better. It's not the rookie contract but the second contract that matters. Taking the "short money" of NIL in college is trading your LAST year contract in the NFL assuming running backs wear out pretty fast.

The other reason to get in the league is retirement. The longer you are in the league, the better it gets when you retire. NIL can't come close to that.

College will remain little brother to getting in the NFL because the money tossed around because of the players union and revenue sharing of a huge amount of money the NFL generates makes college look tiny.

Yet if he goes to the leauge and ends up on a practice squad he wasted easy money here. These are matters of opinion. It’s nothing personal. Now a days the bar is much closer than it used to be, which was really my main point.

 

[Hairy Vols]

I also said fourth round to use the lowest pick possible for Sampson. He's likely a 3rd round to late 2nd round guy. No NIL can come close to that money and also pay high end transfers. Would you rather spend 2 million on a running back or split that on high end ready to play tackles to protect Nico?

How many RBs have gone in the 2nd round or above the past three drafts? The fifth RB taken last year was the 4th.

 

[Hairy Vols]

A RB would be an idiot to do so. Flat out, it's hard as hell to get a second contract as a RB. Take the money and go. Let the fans live in fantasy land because that's what we all do

I strongly disagree with the idiot take. But these are opinions and without us really knowing the full extent of these NIL contracts it’s hard to really say one way or another.

 

[Hairy Vols]

A RB would be an idiot to do so. Flat out, it's hard as hell to get a second contract as a RB. Take the money and go. Let the fans live in fantasy land because that's what we all do

Oh and I personally don’t care if he stays or goes. I typically support players sitting out bowls if it may hurt their draft stock, esp pre NIL. It was a wasted game that had no value where the only person taking the risk was the draft prospect. So I can agree with you that aspect.

Really if it’s best for him mentally and financially he should go, again my only point, is that it isn’t as cut and dry as it used to be.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

I doubt it. Running backs have taken a back seat in the NFL drat over the past 6-8 yard and few are being drafted until the third round or higher. If he is rated in the top 3-4 running backs, he could probably make as much from his NIL as he would make as a non-drafted player.

So you think Sampson goes undrafted? You have got to be kidding/

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Yet if he goes to the leauge and ends up on a practice squad he wasted easy money here. These are matters of opinion. It’s nothing personal. Now a days the bar is much closer than it used to be, which was really my main point.

Certainly. NIL for most players, though, cannot likely compete with a practice squad salary of $250-300k / yr. Minimum is about $10k / week.

You're an activation from the NFL minimum of $800k / yr (obviously paid weekly and pro-rated during the season) AND you're GOING to be looked at by NFL GMs and coaches as potential trade-for-need.

In the league at any level is better than in college for almost every player. Granted, NIL is best for most P4 football athletes because they're not NFL material, but if you grade to be drafted at any point..... go to the league.

 

[Carp]

You don’t think he can get a one year one mil NIL deal? Not so fast my friend. It’s very plausible he could get that and even more.

The rest you said is correct. And it likely would be a better idea to go as early as possible if you’re a RB BUT this is also a very strong RB class. I’ve not looked much into next years class but there is a chance he could find himself a better position next year.

My point is it is possible and we won’t know for certain until we know who is declaring and where he is ranking among them.

Money isn’t the full issue when there is a possibility he can make more with an NIL deal than he does on a rookie contract.

I am not aware of any RBs making 1 million in NIL money. It may be happening, but I am not aware of it.

 

[Vawlk Tuah]

I am not aware of any RBs making 1 million in NIL money. It may be happening, but I am not aware of it.

They're not, it doesn't represent market value. Tackles, DE, CB, and QB only get bookoo bucks that I know of.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

So you think Sampson goes undrafted? You have got to be kidding/

I do not think he will go in the first 3-4 rounds. For him, I hope he is the first player drafted, but if he rated the early. That is what the NFL pattern of drafting has been for the past few years.

 

[OneVolNation]

Would love to see Dylan Sampson as a Tennessee Titan.

 

[Hairy Vols]

I am not aware of any RBs making 1 million in NIL money. It may be happening, but I am not aware of it.

We’re not really aware of anyone’s NIL deals. We see some on scratch surface but most things are not put into the spotlight. If I knew exact amounts I may agree more or disagree with my own statements.

But this day and age one million is not an absurd amount of money.

That being said the NFL.. you just never know really who will cut it and who won’t. The worst case is for someone to give up money, get out on a practice squad bc there is tons of depth where they got drafted then miss out on the attention? Spotlight, and deals.

The NIL is also constantly growing. This is a very strong RB class that we don’t know who will or won’t declare. Think of all the previous Vols RBings after Kamara. Where are they now? How many ended up on practice squads or have just been floating around the past few years?

We have no way to know what the best decision for him will be come end of season based on all those variables. But we can all hope, stay or go, he does what’s best for him.