Where Tennessee Vols running back Dylan Sampson ranks on Pro Football Focus' 2025 NFL Draft Big Board
Tennessee Vols running back Dylan Sampson announced last month that he's forgoing his final season of eligibility to enter the 2025 NFL Draft. Sampson, a former four-star recruit who signed with the Vols during the 2022 recruiting cycle, capped off his Tennessee career with one of the best seasons in program history. The Baton Rouge […]
Tennessee Vols running back Dylan Sampson announced last month that he's forgoing his final season of eligibility to enter the 2025 NFL Draft.
Sampson, a former four-star recruit who signed with the Vols during the 2022 recruiting cycle, capped off his Tennessee career with one of the best seasons in program history.
The Baton Rouge native rushed for 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2024. He also caught 20 passes for 143 yards.
The 1,491 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns are all-time single season records at Tennessee.
Sampson, who split time with Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright during his first two seasons at Tennessee, finished his Vols career with 2,492 total rushing yards, which is ninth all-time in program history.
Pro Football Focus draft analyst Trevor Sikkema revealed his 2025 NFL Draft Big Board this week and he has Sampson ranked as the No. 53 overall prospect in the draft.
Sampson is Sikkema's No. 4 overall running back.
Draft big boards and rankings will undoubtedly change a bit in the coming weeks/months with the draft combine, Pro Days, and interviews with NFL franchises getting underway. Sampson could potentially climb draft boards over the next two to three months — I think NFL teams are going to fall in love with him during team interviews (arguably the most important part of the draft process). But at the very least, Sikkema's ranking of the former Vol suggests that Sampson should at least be a mid-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Sampson could've returned to Tennessee and broke every Vols rushing record there is. But I think he's making the right choice to head to the NFL now while he's still young so he can go ahead and get his pro career started.
