Former Tennessee Vols standout the rest of the NFL forgot to draft was named as one of this year’s most exciting undrafted free agents
A former Tennessee Volunteers standout that the rest of the league forgot to select in the 2026 NFL Draft was recently named as one of the most exciting undrafted free agents.
A former Tennessee Vols defensive lineman that went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft is receiving some offseason hype.
Former Vols defensive lineman Bryson Eason signed with the San Francisco 49ers after going undrafted in April.
Eason, a former four-star recruit from Memphis, TN, totaled 105 tackes, 22 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks during his time on Rocky Top.
Bleacher Report names Bryson Eason as the 49ers’ most exciting undrafted free agent
Bleacher Report named Eason this week as the 49ers’ “most exciting” undrafted free agent.
“Eason arrived in Knoxville as an oversized inside linebacker. He left Knoxville as just oversized—a 323-pound lane-clogger of a defensive tackle,” wrote Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport. “A lack of statistical production and uneven tape led to Eason going undrafted. But the physical tools are there—enough so that he has a puncher’s chance of carving out a rotational role along San Francisco’s defensive front.”
I was surprised Eason wasn’t drafted on Day 3. The former Vol is very athletic for his size, and he provides plenty of versatility along the defensive line. That’s not easy to find.
“He got better every year,” said an SEC assistant to ESPN before the draft. “Whoever ends up taking that kid is going to be pleasantly surprised. He’s super strong, he can run. He’s a Day 3 guy that I think people are going to be glad they took.”
Eason’s talent was always evident at Tennessee, he just struggled with consistency during his first few years in college.
“Obviously, Bryson is very talented, and we’ve always talked about that every year,” said Vols defensive line coach Rodney Garner in early 2025. “He’s one of the more gifted kids that we have, but just seeing him being more attentive to doing the little things. He is a talented guy, everybody when they are writing him up with the scouts and coaches, his talent jumps out.
“But there are some things that he needs to clean up in his game. And for him to come out and at least be focused on fixing certain things that we’ve talked about, that’s really encouraging, and it shows to me that he’s maturing. And that’s showing that he’s growing as a man and he’s taking it seriously.”
Nothing is guaranteed for Eason in the NFL — especially since he’s an undrafted free agent — but it seems he has a really good chance to make the 49ers’ 53-man roster this summer as long as he stays healthy and stays consistent.