Where Dylan Sampson, Tennessee prospects are ranked entering Day 3 of NFL Draft
Dylan Sampson enters Day 3 of the NFL Draft as the seventh-best prospect available, according to ESPN. He’s the No. 2 running back still on the board, Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo.
Colorado quarterback Shadeur Sanders is the best prospect available in the ESPN rankings after going undrafted over the first two days. He’s ranked ahead of Utah State wide receiver Jalen Royals, Virginia Tech wide receiver Jaylin Lane, Florida State defensive tackle Joshua Farmer, Skattebo and Texas tight end Gunnar Helm.
Day 3 of the NFL Draft, which features the final four rounds of the draft, is scheduled to begin at Noon Eastern Time on ESPN and NFL Network.
Two Tennessee players picked in first two rounds of NFL Draft
Two Tennessee players were picked over the first two days of the NFL Draft, with pass rusher James Pearce Jr. going No. 27 overall to the Atlanta Falcons in the first round Thursday night and defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott going in the second round Friday night, at No. 63 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I was surprised to see the Chiefs pull Omarr Norman-Lott from way, way down my board at No. 63,” ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. wrote, referencing his Big Board rankings. “He just snuck into my top 150 at No. 142 overall.
“Norman-Lott started just five of his 45 career games. He has some pass-rush upside (4.5 sacks from inside), but I don’t understand what Kansas City saw in the value here. And that’s especially true since Darius Alexander was still on the board; he was over 100 spots higher in my rankings.”
Nine Tennessee players entered the NFL Draft ranked on Kiper’s final Big Board, with four in the top 150 and five more ranked in position groups.
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Pearce was ranked highest, at No. 34 overall, ahead of Sampson at No. 100. Wide receiver Dont’e Thornton at No. 137 and Norman-Lott at No. 142.
In Kiper’s position group rankings, Bru McCoy was his No. 32 wide receiver, Cooper Mays was the No. 13 center, Elijah Simmons was his No. 27 defensive tackle, ahead of Omari Thomas at the No. 42 defensive tackle, and Will Brooks was his No. 39 safety.
ESPN’s ‘Best Available’ rankings now have McCoy at No 7 at wide receiver and Thornton at No. 13.
Mel Kiper Jr: Dylan Samspon is ‘a home run waiting to happen’
Six running backs were selected over the first three rounds: Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty (No. 6, Las Vegas Raiders); North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton (No. 22, Los Angeles Chargers); Ohio State Quinshon Judkins (No. 36, Cleveland Browns) and TreVeyon Henderson (No. 38, New England Patriots); UCF’s RJ Harvey (No. 60, Denver Broncos); Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson (No. 83, Pittsburgh Steelers).
Kiper ranked Sampson at No. 6 among running backs, describing him as one of his favorite prospects in the draft and “a home run waiting to happen every time he touches the ball.”
“I see burst and conviction on the tape — he sees the hole, commits and explodes through the gap,” Kiper wrote. “At 5-foot-8 and 200 pounds, Sampson runs with fierceness and contact balance, with 820 of his yards coming after first contact. Those traits are also useful at the goal line, where he can power in for six points. Inside 3 yards, he scored on eight of his 11 carries last season.”
