ESPN analyst names former Vols standout as one of his biggest sleepers for the 2024 NFL Draft
On Monday, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr named a former Tennessee Vols standout as one of his biggest "sleepers" for the 2024 NFL Draft. Kiper pointed out Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright as one of his top sleepers for this year's draft. “I’m going to a kid that played at Tennessee," said Kiper. […]
On Monday, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr named a former Tennessee Vols standout as one of his biggest "sleepers" for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Kiper pointed out Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright as one of his top sleepers for this year's draft.
“I’m going to a kid that played at Tennessee," said Kiper. "You talk about guys that played at that particular program [under] Josh Heupel. You say, ‘They throw it all over the yard.’ How about running the football with Jaylen Wright? Jaylen Wright’s kind of my guy. I liked what I saw from him this past year. I liked what I saw from him two years ago. This year, he went from six yards per carry up to seven a carry. He went from two catches to 22 receptions. [He] runs through traffic. Strong, patient, [and] slippery. He’s got balance. He was a track guy in high school — he was a sprinter, so he can hit that long-gainer."
“You talk about production in back-to-back years, he hit some big plays for Tennessee in the run game," added Kiper. "He’s caught the ball better. He was more of a factor in the passing game.”
“I like everything about him. In the NFL, you’ve got to be able to run through contact, basically make the first defender miss, and if you get into a situation where you’re off-balance, the ability to keep the chains moving with an extra yard or two, that he showed he could provide…I'm a big fan of Jaylen Wright from Tennessee. If you can get him in that fifth-round area, you’ve got yourself one heck of a running back.”
Wright, who was a junior this past season, declared for the 2024 NFL Draft after rushing for 1,013 yards in 2023.
The North Carolina native showed this past season that he can be a tough/physical between the tackles runner while also providing home run speed. Wright also did a solid job in pass protection. He's essentially the total package as a running back. And it sounds like he could be selected in the middle to late rounds of the draft.
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