The 2022 NFL Draft will get underway on Thursday night and several former Tennessee Vols are expected to hear their name called by the end of the seventh round on Saturday.

There won't be any Vols selected in the first round of the draft (Tennessee hasn't had a player selected in the first round since Derek Barnett in 2017), but several former UT players should go in the middle rounds.

As of now, I think we'll see four Tennessee players selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.

And here's where I think those players will land.

Note: I have former Vols wide receiver JaVonta Payton going undrafted this weekend.

Matthew Butler (Defenisve lineman) — Steelers — Round 3, Pick 84

Butler just feels like a player that will end up with the Steelers. Pittsburgh could certainly use a defensive lineman. Tyson Alualu will turn 35 next month and he's coming off a fractured ankle that caused him to miss significant action last season. Then there's Stephon Tuitt. It's unclear if Tuitt plans to play in 2022. The Steelers need to go ahead and address this position and Butler could be a steal in the third round.

Velus Jones Jr (Wide Receiver) — Titans — Round 3, Pick 90

The Titans need to add a wide receiver in the draft. They don't have a second-round pick and it feels like they're going to take an offensive lineman or a quarterback in the first round. If that's the direction they go, then they need to select a wide receiver in the third round. Jones has elite speed and he could immediately contribute on special teams. It's tough to tell what we should expect from Jones as a pro player, considering he only had one decent year in college. But he has the type of upside that teams love in the middle rounds.

Alontae Taylor (Defenisve back) — Bengals — Round 3, Pick 95

Taylor will most likely end up at safety in the NFL, though he has the speed to play cornerback (which is what he played at Tennessee). The Bengals need to add another defensive back to their roster. They could use a safety to replace Jessie Bates after the 2022 season (it doesn't appear that Cincinati and Bates are going to come to an agreement on an extension), or they could use a cornerback to compete with Eli Apple. Drafting Taylor would kill two birds with one stone.

Cade Mays (Offensive lineman) — Patriots — Round 6, Pick 200

This would be a great value pick for the Patriots. If Mays is healthy, he's a second round talent. When Mays was on the field for the Vols last season, he was dominant. The former Georgia/Tennessee offensive lineman allowed just one sack last season while playing 493 snaps. We've seen numerous Tennessee players in the past fall in the draft because of health concerns (Shy Tuttle and Trey Smith come to mind) only to have solid NFL careers. Mays feels like the next Vol that will fall into that category. The Patriots love versatilty and Mays brings that by being able to play all five offensive line positions.

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