What's next for Hendon Hooker, other Tennessee players on Day 2 of the NFL Draft

Mel Kiper Jr. had one last point to make late Thursday night, just before ESPN signed off after four hours of coverage of the first round of the NFL Draft. Hendon Hooker is still available. So is Jalin Hyatt. So is Cedric Tillman. 

“We don’t have Hendon Hooker, who everyone was talking about with Minnesota, teams trading in (to the first round) for Hendon Hooker,” Kiper said. “And his pass-catch tandem was what? Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt. So all three Tennessee Vols, who were responsible for all those points — Hooker, Tillman and Hyatt — still on the board.”

Now the focus shifts to Day 2 at the NFL Draft, with the second and thirds round held Friday night in Kansas City. Round 2 starts at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN and NFL Network, with Round 3 following immediately after.

Hendon Hooker No. 6 on ESPN’s ‘Best Available’ list entering second round of NFL Draft

Hooker enters Friday as the sixth best player still available in the draft according to ESPN, behind Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer, Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr., Alabama safety Brian Branch and Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave.

Hyatt and Tillman are the third and fourth best wide receivers still on the board, respectively per ESPN. Ole Miss wide receiver Jonathan Mingo is the top wideout currently available, ahead of Michigan State’s Jayden Reed. On the overall best available ranking, Hyatt is No. 20 and Tillman is No. 28.

Edge rusher Byron Young is No. 45 on the best available list entering Friday and is No. 4 overall among defensive ends, behind Georgia Tech’s Keion White, Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore and Auburn’s Derick Hall.

Kiper mentioned Young as a possible second-round pick after Tennessee right tackle Darnell Wright was picked at No. 10 overall in the first round by the Chicago Bears. Young entered the draft ranked No. 51 overall by Kiper. He had a 76 draft grade from ESPN and was ranked No. 76 overall and No. 8 among defensive ends.

Wright is the first first-round pick for the Vols since Derek Barnett went at No. 17 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017. He’s Tennessee’s highest-drafted offensive lineman since Ja’Wuan James went No. 19 overall to the Miami Dolphins in 2014.

Wright is Tennessee’s highest-drafted offensive lineman since 1991, when Charles McRae and Antone Davis went back-to-back at No. 7 and No. 8 overall, respectively.

Three quarterbacks came off the board in the first round Thursday night, with Alabama’s Bryce Young going No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers and Ohio State’s CJ Stroud going No. 2 to the Houston Texans. Anthony Richardson was the No. 4 overall pick to the Indianapolis Colts.

Levis is No. 1 on ESPN’s best available list entering Friday, after sliding out of the first round on Thursday. 

Day 2 at the NFL Draft: Rounds 2-3, Friday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN or NFL Network

The run on receivers started at No. 20 overall, where the Seattle Seahawks picked Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba. TCU’s Quentin Johnston was picked next at No. 21 by the Los Angeles Chargers. Boston College’s Zay Flowers, to the Baltimore Ravens, and USC’s Jordan Addison, to the Minnesota Vikings, were next at No. 23 and No. 24, making it four straight receiver picks.

Hooker entered with a draft grade of 86 from ESPN, ranked No. 33 overall and No. 5 among the quarterbacks. Hyatt had an 83 grade and was ranked No. 49 overall and No. 7 at wide receiver, just ahead of Tillman at No. 59 overall and the No. 8 wide receiver with a grade of 80.

Tennessee football’s other draft hopefuls, players that could either hear their name called on Saturday during Rounds 4-7 or could sign as undrafted free agents include offensive guard Jerome Carvin, inside linebacker Jeremy Banks, tight end Princeton Fant, punter Paxton Brooks, defensive lineman LaTrell Bumphus and safety Trevon Flowers.