By Vince Ferrara / @VinceSports
Here’s an updated list of University of Tennessee players on expanded NFL rosters after the 2026 NFL Draft and reported undrafted free agent signings entering team May minicamps.
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 jersey numbers and 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.”
Summary Notes
*42 VFLs currently in the NFL
*13 of the 42 are rookies, either drafted or UDFA signings/tryouts
*Titans have the most VFLs with 5, followed by the Lions with 4
*NFC North & AFC South have the most VFLs with 8
*AFC North has the fewest VFLs with 2 (both with the Browns)
*NFC North & NFC South have at least one VFL on each of their 4 teams
*12 teams have more than one VFLs
*23 of the 32 teams have at least one VFL
*7 VFLs are listed as starters on projected depth charts
*15 ex-Vols that finished college at others schools are currently with NFL teams
*6 Knoxville-area players that did not attend UT are currently with NFL teams
Tennessee Volunteers In The NFL as of 5/8/26 (42)
x = rookie
AFC East (3)
WR – Joshua Palmer (5) Buffalo Bills (starter)
RB – Jaylen Wright (5) Miami Dolphins (2nd team)
DT – Matthew Butler (91) Miami Dolphins (3rd team)
NONE – New England Patriots, New York Jets
AFC North (2)
WR – Cedric Tillman (19) Cleveland Browns (2nd team)
RB – Dylan Sampson (22) Cleveland Browns (2nd team RB/KR)
NONE – Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South (8)
DL – Dominic Bailey (–) Houston Texans (5th team DE)-x
OL – Jerome Carvin (79) Jacksonville (3rd team C)
QB – Joey Aguilar (17) Jacksonville Jaguars (4th team)-x
LS – Morgan Cox (46) Tennessee Titans (LS)
QB – Hendon Hooker (16) Tennessee Titans (4th team)
CB – Alontae Taylor (24) Tennessee Titans (starting NB)
DB – Jalen McMurray (16d) Tennessee Titans (3rd team NB)-x
RB – Star Thomas (26) Tennessee Titans (tryout)-x
NONE – Indianapolis Colts
AFC West (5)
CB – William Wright (–) Denver Broncos (4th team CB)-x
OG – Trey Smith (65) Kansas City Chiefs (starting RG)
DT – Omarr Norman-Lott 55) Kansas City Chiefs (2nd team)
WR – Dont’e Thornton Jr. (10) Las Vegas Raiders (2nd team)
CB – Jermod McCoy (28) Las Vegas Raiders (2nd team)-x
NONE – Los Angeles Chargers
NFC East (6)
QB – Joe Milton III (10) Dallas Cowboys (3rd team)
TE – Princeton Fant (85) Dallas Cowboys (4th team)
WR – Jalin Hyatt (13) New York Giants (3rd team)
CB – Colton Hood (–) New York Giants (2nd team)-x
DT – Shy Tuttle (79) Washington Commanders (3rd team NT)
OLB – Joshua Josephs (48) Washington Commanders (2nd team)-x
NONE – Philadelphia Eagles
NFC North (8)
OT – Darnell Wright (58) Chicago Bears (starting RT)
OL – Cade Mays (64) Detroit Lions (2nd team C)
RB – Jabari Small (26) Detroit Lions (5th team)
DE – Tyre West (–) Detroit Lions (3rd team DE)-x
TE – Miles Kitselman (–) Detroit Lions (6th team)-x
CB – Kamal Hadden (36) Green Bay Packers (3rd team)
S – Theo Jackson (26) Minnesota Vikings (2nd team FS)
WR – Jauan Jennings (–) Minnesota Vikings (TBD)
NONE
NFC South (5)
OLB – James Pearce Jr. (27) Atlanta Falcons (starting LOLB)
WR – Chris Brazzell II (–) Carolina Panthers (2nd team WR)-x
RB – Alvin Kamara (41) New Orleans Saints (2nd team)
TE – McCallan Castles (89) New Orleans Saints (tryout)
DT – Elijah Simmons (92) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3rd team NT)
NONE
NFC West (5)
OLB – Byron Young (0) Los Angeles Rams (starting LOLB)
S – Jaylen McCullough (2) Los Angeles Rams (2nd team SS)
DL – Jaxson Moi (98) Los Angeles Rams (3rd team DE)-x
DL – Bryson Eason (–) San Francisco 49ers (4th team DT)-x
RB – Velus Jones Jr. (33) Seattle Seahawks (5th team)
NONE – Arizona Cardinals
Ex-Vols That Transferred To Other Schools On NFL Rosters (15)
WR – Squirrel White (–) Chicago Bears (FSU) (3rd team WR)-x
CB – De’Shawn Rucker (–) Detroit Lions (USF) (4th team CB)-x
LB – Henry To’o to’o (39) Houston Texans (Alabama) (starting WLB)
OT – Wanya Morris (64) Kansas City Chiefs (Oklahoma) (2nd team RT)
WR – Jimmy Holiday (82) Kansas City Chiefs (WKU/LaTech) (3rd team SWR)
DL – Jordan Phillips (94) Miami Dolphins (Maryland) (2nd team NT)
S – Jakobe Thomas (–) Minnesota Vikings (Miami) (2nd team)-x
RB – Ty Chandler (32) New Orleans Saints (North Carolina) (6th team RB/4th team KR)
RB – Eric Gray (20) New York Giants (Oklahoma) (4th team)
DE – Tyler Baron (94) New York Jets (Miami) (3rd team OLB)
WR – Brandon Johnson (89) Pittsburgh Steelers (UCF) (4th team)
DB – Doneiko Slaughter (19) Pittsburgh Steelers (Arkansas) (4th team CB)
P – Tommy Townsend (3) Tennessee Titans (Florida) (P/H)
LB – Elijah Herring (51) Tennessee Titans (FSU) (tryout)
QB – Kaidon Salter (7) Tennessee Titans (Liberty/Colorado) (tryout)
Knoxville Area Players That Didn’t Play at UT on NFL Rosters (6)
DL – Walter Nolen (97) Arizona Cardinals (Powell HS/Ole Miss) (starting LDE)
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)
S – Thomas Harper (12) Detroit Lions (Karns HS/Ok. State/Notre Dame) (4th team FS)
QB – Trevor Lawrence (16) Jacksonville Jaguars (Born in Knoxville/Clemson) (starter)
OG – Cole Strange (69) Los Angeles Chargers (Farragut HS/Chattanooga) (starting RG)
*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
QB – Joshua Dobbs
DE – Derek Barnett
DE – Darrell Taylor
CB – Gabe Jeudy-Lally
DT – Omari Thomas
WR – Marquez Callaway
CB – Dee Williams
S – Will Brooks
FB – Jakob Johnson
RB – Cordarrelle Patterson
WR – Ramel Keyton
CB – Emmanuel Moseley
WLB – Jalen Reeves-Maybin
FS – Micah Abernathy
DT – Kendal Vickers
P – Michael Palardy
WR – Cooper Mays
OL – Javontez Spraggins
——————————————-
DT – Da’Jon Terry (Tennessee/Oklahoma)
QB – Nathan Peterman (Tennessee/Pittsburgh)
RB – Elijah Young (South Doyle HS/Western Kentucky)
LB – Devin Harper (Karns HS/Oklahoma St.)
OL – Nate Gilliam (Farragut HS/Wake Forest)
Jermod McCoy – Las Vegas Raiders CB / Credit: UT Athletics
