UT's Marquez North makes a catch as Arkansas State's Andrew Tryon reaches Saturday at Neyland Stadium.WHERE ARE TENNESSEE'S UNDRAFTED PLAYERS HEADING?
Tennessee didn't have any players drafted, but the NFL dreams for those former Vols don't end there. Many will be hoping to sign free-agent deals or mini-camp invites with teams. Here are those players and their potential landing spots: *WR Marquez North: Los Angeles Rams*S Brian Randolph: Los Angeles Rams *LB/DE Curt Maggitt: Indianapolis Colts
KNOXVILLE -- Tennessee's hopes of starting another long NFL draft streak will have to wait another year.
The Volunteers were shut out of the draft for a second consecutive year when no former players were taken in the final four rounds on Saturday.
Wide receiver Marquez North, who elected to enter the draft following his junior season, was Tennessee's best draft prospect, while safety Brian Randolph and defensive end/linebacker Curt Maggitt topped the list of fringe prospects who will seek free-agent deals tonight.
The Vols were the only SEC program without a player drafted.
Additionally, prospects from Canada and Germany were taken on Saturday, and Baylor basketball player Rico Geathers went late in the sixth round
Though it produced zero draft picks, Tennessee still could boast about a couple of rookies last season, when cornerback Justin Coleman and punter Matt Darr made impacts for the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins, respectively.
The caveat to this year's no-show, of course, was that three key potential draft picks -- linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, cornerback Cameron Sutton and running back Alvin Kamara -- all elected to return to the Vols and bolster their SEC championship hopes for 2016.
The Vols had a 51-year streak snapped when they did not have a player drafted in 2015 -- then it was college football's sixth-longest streak, trailing only Michigan, USC, Michigan State, Florida and Nebraska -- and it was just the third time ever the draft did not include a Tennessee player.
The two-year run on quiet drafts for the Vols figures to end in 2017, when Tennessee could have at minimum five or six players picked, presuming some juniors decide to leave early and enter the draft.
Given the talent currently on the roster, Tennessee won't have to wait long to add to its 337 all-time draft picks and 45 first-round selections.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.