By Vince Ferrara / @VinceSports
Here’s an updated list of University of Tennessee players on expanded NFL rosters after the 2025 NFL Draft and reported undrafted free agent signings.
You’ll also see a list of players that were once at UT as well as other Knoxville area players that played at other schools.
I’ve included current projected depth chart positions according to Ourlads.com, a very accurate resource for NFL depth charts.
That’s all below now, and will be updated often, here on my blog “Vince’s View.”
Recent Transactions
OLB James Pearce Jr. drafted by the Atlanta Falcons (1st Rd #26 overall)
DT Omarr Norman-Lott drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs (2nd Rd #63 overall)
WR Dont’e Thornton drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders (4th Rd #108 overall)
RB Dylan Sampson drafted by the Cleveland Browns (4th Rd #126 overall)
DT Walter Nolen (local not UT) drafted by the Arizona Cardinals (1st Rd #16 overall)
DT Jordan Phillips (ex-Vol) drafted by the Miami Dolphins (5th Rd #143 overall)
DE Tyler Baron (ex-Vol) drafted by the New York Jets (5th Rd #176 overall)
DT Elijah Simmons signed as an undrafted free agent by the Arizona Cardinals
DT Omari Thomas signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints
DB Will Brooks signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs
DB Doneiko Slaughter (ex-Vol) signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars
RB Elijah Young (local not UT) signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs
DT Da’Jon Terry (ex-Vol) signed as an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Rams
Tennessee Volunteers In The NFL as of 4/28/25 (39)
x = rookie
AFC East (3)
WR – Joshua Palmer (5) Buffalo Bills (starter)
RB – Jaylen Wright (25) Miami Dolphins (2nd team)
QB – Joshua Dobbs (11) New England Patriots (2nd team)
NONE – New York Jets
AFC North (3)
WR – Cedric Tillman (19) Cleveland Browns (starter)
RB – Dylan Sampson (–) Cleveland Browns (3rd team)-x
RB – Cordarrelle Patterson (84) Pittsburgh Steelers (4th team RB/2nd team KR)
NONE – Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals
AFC South (7)
DE – Derek Barnett (95) Houston Texans (2nd team RDE)
DE – Darrell Taylor (52) Houston Texans (2nd team LDE)
OL – Jerome Carvin (62) Houston Texans (3rd team C)
FB – Jakob Johnson (45) Houston Texans (2nd team)
LS – Morgan Cox (46) Tennessee Titans (LS)
RB – Jabari Small (31) Tennessee Titans (5th team)
CB – Gabe Jeudy-Lally (32) Tennessee Titans (3rd team LCB)
NONE – Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars
AFC West (6)
OG – Trey Smith (65) Kansas City Chiefs (starting RG)
DT – Omarr Norman-Lott (–) Kansas City Chiefs (2nd team RDT)-x
S – Will Brooks (–) Kansas City Chiefs (–)-x
DT – Matthew Butler (91) Las Vegas Raiders (4th team LDT)
WR – Dont’e Thornton Jr. (–) Las Vegas Raiders (2nd team)-x
TE – McCallan Castles (46) Los Angeles Chargers (5th team)
NONE – Denver Broncos
NFC East (4)
QB – Joe Milton III (10) Dallas Cowboys (2nd team)
TE – Princeton Fant (85) Dallas Cowboys (5th team)
WR – Jalin Hyatt (13) New York Giants (2nd team)
CB – Dee Williams (33) New York Giants (3rd team NB/2nd team PR/3rd team KR)
NONE – Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders
NFC North (4)
OT – Darnell Wright (58) Chicago Bears (starting RT)
QB – Hendon Hooker (2) Detroit Lions (2nd team)
CB – Kamal Hadden (36) Green Bay Packers (3rd team NB)
S – Theo Jackson (26) Minnesota Vikings (2nd team FS)
NONE
NFC South (8)
OLB – James Pearce Jr. (–) Atlanta Falcons (starting ROLB)-x
DT – Shy Tuttle (99) Carolina Panthers (2nd team NT)
OG – Cade Mays (64) Carolina Panthers (2nd team C)
RB – Alvin Kamara (41) New Orleans Saints (starter)
CB – Alontae Taylor (1) New Orleans Saints (starting NB)
RB – Velus Jones Jr. (–) New Orleans Saints (7th team)
DT – Omari Thomas (–) New Orleans Saints (4th team)-x
WR – Marquez Callaway (85) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4th team)
NONE
NFC West (4)
DT – Elijah Simmons (–) Arizona Cardinals (4th team NT)-x
OLB – Byron Young (0) Los Angeles Rams (starting LOLB)
S – Jaylen McCullough (39) Los Angeles Rams (2nd team SS)
WR – Jauan Jennings (15) San Francisco 49ers (starter)
NONE – Seattle Seahawks
Ex-Vols That Transferred To Other Schools On NFL Rosters (10)
LB – Henry To’o to’o (39) Houston Texans (Alabama) (starting WLB)
P – Tommy Townsend (6) Houston Texans (Florida) (P/H)
DB – Doneiko Slaughter (–) Jacksonville Jaguars (4th team NB)-x
OT – Wanya Morris (64) Kansas City Chiefs (Oklahoma) (2nd team RT)
DT – Da’Jon Terry (–) Los Angeles Rams (Oklahoma) (4th team NT)-x
DE – Jordan Phillips (–) Miami Dolphins (Maryland) (2nd team LDE)-x
RB – Ty Chandler (32) Minnesota Vikings (North Carolina) (3rd team RB/2nd team KR)
RB – Eric Gray (20) New York Giants (Oklahoma) (4th team)
DE – Tyler Baron (–) New York Jets (Miami) (3rd team LDE)-x
WR – Brandon Johnson (89) Pittsburgh Steelers (UCF) (3rd team)
Knoxville Area Players That Didn’t Play at UT on NFL Rosters (8)
NT – Walter Nolen (–) Arizona Cardinals (Powell HS/Ole Miss) (2nd team LDE)-x
WR – Tee Higgins (5) Cincinnati Bengals (Oak Ridge HS/Clemson) (starter)
TE – Nate Adkins (45) Denver Broncos (Bearden HS/ETSU/South Carolina) (3rd team TE)
QB – Trevor Lawrence (16) Jacksonville Jaguars (Born in Knoxville/Clemson) (starter)
RB – Elijah Young (–) Kansas City Chiefs (South Doyle HS/Western Kentucky) (–)-x
S – Harrison Smith (22) Minnesota Vikings (Catholic HS/Notre Dame) (starting FS)
OG – Cole Strange (69) New England Patriots (Farragut HS/Chattanooga) (starting LG)
LB – Devin Harper (40) Pittsburgh Steelers (Karns HS/Oklahoma St.) (4th team RILB)
*Note: Cade Mays (Knox Catholic) & Tyler Baron (Knox Catholic) listed above in other sections also went to high school in the Knoxville area
Free Agents – VFLs, Ex-Vols & Knoxville Area Players
WR – Ramel Keyton
CB – Emmanuel Moseley
WLB – Jalen Reeves-Maybin
FS – Micah Abernathy
DT – Kendal Vickers
P – Michael Palardy
WR – Bru McCoy (undrafted rookie)
WR – Cooper Mays (undrafted rookie)
OL – Javontez Spraggins (undrafted rookie)
OL – Nate Gilliam (Farragut HS/Wake Forest)
QB – Nathan Peterman (Tennessee/Pittsburgh)
Notes
*39 VFLs in the NFL
*Houston Texans & New Orleans Saints currently have the most Vols with 4 each
*7 VFL rookies total (4 draft picks & 3 undrafted free agents)
*23 of 32 teams have a VFL on their rosters
*19 VFLs in the AFC
*20 VFLs in the NFC
*9 VFLs are listed as starters on projected depth charts
*10 ex-Vols that finished college at others schools currently with NFL teams
*8 Knoxville-area players that did not attend UT currently with NFL teams
