This NFL draft helps Tennessee in a couple of ways

#1
NighthawkVol

NighthawkVol

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#1
Of course, much has been made of the fact that only one school had more picks through the first 3 rounds than Tennessee. And this staff did that without the benefit of a bunch of 4 and 5 star recruits in this group. Darnell was a 5* who had yet to play like one before this staff arrived. Hooker was a Rivals/ESPN 3* and a 247 4*. A nice recruit, but certainly not considered elite. Tillman was ranked in the 1000s. Hyatt was a borderline 3*/4* who was passed over by his home state schools. And Byron Young came out of nowhere.

Bottom line, this shows that this staff can develop guys and put them in the NFL, whether they are 5*s or unknowns.

But the other way this might help Tennessee is this...Wright and Hooker could have gone pro last year. But they chose to come back and increased their draft stock. I know Tillman could've gone too, but his injury this year hurt his stock. I think the fact that Hooker and Wright both chose to come back and it worked out for both of them shows future players that going pro after their junior season may not be the best option. You can come back for your final year with this staff and they'll develop you further into a higher pick.
 
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#2
#2
GregAmsler said:
You can come back for your final year with this staff and they'll develop you further into a higher pick.
Click to expand...

This staff has shown they can develop guys, will need to repeat/improve draft results over the next couple of years - would be THE feather in the cap if Bazooka Joe can go in the 1st round next year.

I'd venture to say NIL impacts the decision to stay or go more than anything else.
 
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#4
#4
TNVOLFN said:
This staff has shown they can develop guys, will need to repeat/improve draft results over the next couple of years - would be THE feather in the cap if Bazooka Joe can go in the 1st round next year.
Click to expand...

If Anthony Richardson can be drafted #4 overall based on combine-measurables and potential, then I have no doubt Joe Milton will go at least that high.
 
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#6
#6
vik said:
If Anthony Richardson can be drafted #4 overall based on combine-measurables and potential, then I have no doubt Joe Milton will go at least that high.
Click to expand...

Especially if Anthony Richardson has a decent rookie season that shows much promise.

Weirdly, we need to root for Anthony Richardson and the Colts to have a good season.
 
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#10
#10
TNVOLFN said:
Especially if Anthony Richardson has a decent rookie season that shows much promise.

Weirdly, we need to root for Anthony Richardson and the Colts to have a good season.
Click to expand...
One has nothing to do with the other. Milton needs to play well, if he does that he will be fine. What Richardson does is meaningless in how Milton is drafted. Richardson is at least 2-3 years away from leading the colts offense. He simply couldn’t read sec defenses much less the pro’s. Banking on Richardson having a impactful first season is wildly stretching things. I don’t think the Colts will have the patience to develop him and if they don’t it was silly to pick him as high as they did. GBO!!!!
 
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#11
#11
I think you are correct but honestly they need to have some success in the NFL- especially Hooker and the receivers. If they're cut in a year or two then rival recruiters will pound the "junk O" narrative to future offensive recruits.
 
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#12
#12
TNVOLFN said:
Especially if Anthony Richardson has a decent rookie season that shows much promise.

Weirdly, we need to root for Anthony Richardson and the Colts to have a good season.
Click to expand...
I don't think that association can be made exactly like that. IMO, Levis and AR were both drafted as high as they were because of Josh Allen. Now every team is looking for that guy whose talent might not have been shown fully in college... they're looking past performance and putting more emphasis on measurables.

We will see if that works but I have my doubts. I believe he is more of an anomaly than a new rule.
 
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#13
#13
Woodlawn VOL said:
One has nothing to do with the other. Milton needs to play well, if he does that he will be fine. What Richardson does is meaningless in how Milton is drafted. Richardson is at least 2-3 years away from leading the colts offense. He simply couldn’t read sec defenses much less the pro’s. Banking on Richardson having a impactful first season is wildly stretching things. I don’t think the Colts will have the patience to develop him and if they don’t it was silly to pick him as high as they did. GBO!!!!
Click to expand...

Those are good points, but I have to disagree.

Whether fair or not, Joe Milton and Anthony Richardson are going to be compared from now until next year's draft: Physically gifted QB's from the SEC with some questions.

AR15 having success will most definitely favor Joe Milton, though I agree that banking on him ahving a successful first year is stretching things. FWIW, I think Anthony Richardson suffered from an offense that was anything but QB friendly and had very few weapons outside, so he might surprise everyone with an exceptional rookie year.
 
#14
#14
TNVOLFN said:
Those are good points, but I have to disagree.

Whether fair or not, Joe Milton and Anthony Richardson are going to be compared from now until next year's draft: Physically gifted QB's from the SEC with some questions.

AR15 having success will most definitely favor Joe Milton, though I agree that banking on him ahving a successful first year is stretching things. FWIW, I think Anthony Richardson suffered from an offense that was anything but QB friendly and had very few weapons outside, so he might surprise everyone with an exceptional rookie year.
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AR was drafted because of his 40, broad jump, vertical in addition to his arm strength. He performed as the most explosive QB maybe ever, some have been faster but I don’t think any have showed his vert or broad. I don’t think Milton will test like that despite having a better arm. I don’t see the two a linked.
 
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#15
#15
TNVOLFN said:
Especially if Anthony Richardson has a decent rookie season that shows much promise.

Weirdly, we need to root for Anthony Richardson and the Colts to have a good season.
Click to expand...
Who is the last QB in the draft with as strong of an arm as Milton?
 
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#16
#16
Otis1105 said:
AR was drafted because of his 40, broad jump, vertical in addition to his arm strength. He performed as the most explosive QB maybe ever, some have been faster but I don’t think any have showed his vert or broad. I don’t think Milton will test like that despite having a better arm. I don’t see the two a linked.
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I might be totally wrong on my assumption, but I bet you Joe Milton gets closer to AR's combine numbers than you think.
 
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#17
#17
Vols1891 said:
Who is the last QB in the draft with as strong of an arm as Milton?
Click to expand...

I'm not so sure anyone has had a stronger arm than Joe Milton.

I think of John Elway and Bret Favre as having the strongest arm among the greats and I think Joe has a stronger arm than both.
 
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#19
#19
TNVOLFN said:
Especially if Anthony Richardson has a decent rookie season that shows much promise.

Weirdly, we need to root for Anthony Richardson and the Colts to have a good season.
Click to expand...
Not really. Kids busting has never stood in the way of drafting the next star in the combine.
 
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#20
#20
DaddyChad said:
Not really. Kids busting has never stood in the way of drafting the next star in the combine.
Click to expand...

I agree with that, it's not Apples to Apples.

You don't think Joe Milton is going to be compared to Anthony Richardson?
 
#21
#21
TNVOLFN said:
I'm not so sure anyone has had a stronger arm than Joe Milton.

I think of John Elway and Bret Favre as having the strongest arm among the greats and I think Joe has a stronger arm than both.
Click to expand...
Think of Jamarcus Russell instead. Favre, Elway, Marino a few others like Jeff George could sling the ball but Russell was the strongest arm the league had ever seen. Unfortunately that’s about all he had going for him.
 
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#23
#23
DaddyChad said:
Really hoping Milton relies on his own resume instead of what AR does as a pro. I’m hoping their is no comparison in their college resumes.
Click to expand...

Oh, absolutely. I think their measurables - not necessarily their on field production - will be compared, right or wrong.

Perhaps that's what the media will do, rather than the actual NFL GM's and scouts.
 
#24
#24
GregAmsler said:
Of course, much has been made of the fact that only one school had more picks through the first 3 rounds than Tennessee. And this staff did that without the benefit of a bunch of 4 and 5 star recruits in this group. Darnell was a 5* who had yet to play like one before this staff arrived. Hooker was a Rivals/ESPN 3* and a 247 4*. A nice recruit, but certainly not considered elite. Tillman was ranked in the 1000s. Hyatt was a borderline 3*/4* who was passed over by his home state schools. And Byron Young came out of nowhere.

Bottom line, this shows that this staff can develop guys and put them in the NFL, whether they are 5*s or unknowns.

But the other way this might help Tennessee is this...Wright and Hooker could have gone pro last year. But they chose to come back and increased their draft stock. I know Tillman could've gone too, but his injury this year hurt his stock. I think the fact that Hooker and Wright both chose to come back and it worked out for both of them shows future players that going pro after their junior season may not be the best option. You can come back for your final year with this staff and they'll develop you further into a higher pick.
Click to expand...


Depends on a lot of factors.

For one thing, kids that are recognized as having NFL-level talent already and just need conditioning and some experience will go where they can to make the most NIL up front, and be able to play quickly so as declare for the draft the fastest they reasonably can. The haves and have nots will remain the same in the short term. You want those kids at your school, you need to get to the level of Alabama and Georgia. Short of that, you are just an also ran (and that includes UF).

Its the mid-level kids. The 3 stars, or the kids coming off injuries. They will go where they can get noticed quickly. I truly think that gone are the days of a team known for a particular strength, i.e. no more "Wide Receiver U" labels.

The advent of the portal and NIL has lifted the charade of any of these kids (with extremely rare exception) having the least bit of interest in the school they attend. They don't give a rat's azz about tradition or helping a school "win a championship." Its now pure individualistic greed. Maybe it always was, but whatever veneer there was of loyalty or promoting a team with which you are associated at the college level is absolutely cooked.
 
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#25
#25
I’ll have to disagree, I’m not sure another year of age and a torn ACL did improve Hendon’s stock all that much. I think he could’ve went in the third round in 2022
 
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