Jersey numbers for Tennessee football's 2023 NFL Draft class
Tennessee football’s 2023 NFL Draft class has been issued jersey numbers with their new teams. Only Darnell Wright, one of the five Vols picked in last month’s draft, kept the same number he wore with the Vols.
Byron Young was issued a historic jersey number with the Los Angeles Rams, Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman were given traditional NFL wide receiver jersey numbers and Hendon Hooker will be in double-digits in Detroit.
Here’s a look at the new numbers the former Tennessee standouts will be wearing in the league next season:
0 — Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams
Byron Young, the No. 77 overall pick in the third round, was given jersey No. 0 and will be the first player in the history of the Rams franchise to wear the number. The 2024 season will be the first time the NFL has allowed jersey No. 0. All position groups outside of offensive and defensive linemen can wear the number. Young wore No. 6 during his two seasons starring as Tennessee’s pass rusher off the edge. The Rams do not currently have a No. 6 on roster.
12 — Hendon Hooker, Detroit Lions
With new Lions running back David Montgomery wearing jersey No. 5, Hendon Hooker will wear No. 12 in Detroit. Former Vols Cameron Sutton (1) and Emmanuel Moseley (4) will wear single-digit jersey numbers in the Lions defensive backfield. Hooker signed his rookie contract last week, valued at $5.719 million, including a $1.159 million signing bonus.
58 — Darnell Wright, Chicago Bears
Darnell Wright started his Tennessee career wearing jersey No. 72. He switched to No. 58 later on with the Vols — the same number he’ll wear with the Chicago Bears — then switched to right tackle and changed his career. After starring as Tennessee’s anchor on the offensive line last season, he was the No. 10 overall pick by the Bears in the first round of the NFL Draft. He was the first first-round pick for Tennessee since 2017 and this highest Vols’ offensive lineman drafted since Ja’Wuan James went at No. 19 overall in 2014.
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84 — Jalin Hyatt, New York Giants
Jalin Hyatt starred in jersey No. 11 at Tennessee last season, catching 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns, becoming the first Tennessee receiver to win the Biletnikoff Award. He’ll wear No. 84 with the New York Giants as a rookie next season, after the Giants selected him at No. 73 overall. Hyatt was one of four Vols selected in the third round of the NFL Draft and the first of back-to-back Tennessee picks, with the Cleveland Browns selecting Cedric Tillman at No. 74 overall.
89 — Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns
The No. 4 jersey with the Cleveland Browns belongs to quarterback Deshaun Watson. So Cedric Tillman, who wore No. 4 at Tennessee, will wear No. 89 with the Browns. Tillman wore No. 85 early in his career with the Vols, before switching to No. 4. His father, also named Cedric Tillman, wore No. 87 with the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars during his four-year career in the NFL from 1992-95, after being picked at No. 305 overall in the 11th round of the 1992 NFL Draft.
Tennessee’s Undrafted Free Agents
Along with Tennessee’s five draft picks, the Vols also had five players sign undrafted free agent deals following the NFL Draft last month. Tight end and fullback Princeton Fant signed with the Dallas Cowboys, offensive lineman Jerome Carvin signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and linebacker Jeremy Banks signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
LaTrell Bumphus signed a free agent deal with the New York Giants and punter Paxton Brooks signed with the Indianapolis Colts before getting a rookie mini-camp try out with the Tennessee Titans over the weekend.
