Former Tennessee standout called a 'sleeper' ahead of NFL Draft by ESPN; SEC coordinator calls Vols' offense 'quirky'
A former Tennessee Vols standout was described by ESPN this week as a "sleeper" ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. ESPN detailed 22 sleepers for this year's draft and former Vols running back Jaylen Wright was one of their choices. From ESPN: He didn't get as many opportunities as many featured running backs but made […]
A former Tennessee Vols standout was described by ESPN this week as a "sleeper" ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
ESPN detailed 22 sleepers for this year's draft and former Vols running back Jaylen Wright was one of their choices.
From ESPN: He didn't get as many opportunities as many featured running backs but made the most of them, leading the FBS in yards per rush among those with at least 120 carries. Wright finished second on Tennessee's single-season chart in yards per carry (minimum 100), trailing only Hank Lauricella (7.94 in 1951). He had six 100-yard rushing games, 35 carries of 10 yards or more and more than half of his yards (592) after contact. Wright earned second-team All-SEC honors last fall and led Tennessee in rushing in each of his final two seasons.
ESPN spoke to various anonymous coaches about their draft sleepers and an SEC defensive coordinator they spoke with noted that he's a fan of Wright, calling the Durham native "fast as s–t". The defensive coordinator also suggested that Tennessee's offense is "quirky".
"He's really good, fast as s–t," said the SEC defensive coordinator. "I think he's going to be a really good pro. It was just kind of a quirky offense that he was in."
It seems like questions about the Vols' offense pop up every year around draft time. Ultimately, though, it's about the talent and potential of the player when it comes to the NFL draft.
As for Wright's status as a sleeper, I'm not sure anyone is "sleeping" on the former Vol. Wright's seen his draft stock sore in recent months — thanks to a strong combine performance and film that shows his relentless effort and his strong pass protection skills (which NFL teams love).
The expectation is that Wright will be a mid-round selection in the draft next week with some mock drafts predicting that the former Tennessee standout could go as early as the third round.
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