Tennessee defensive end Kyle Phillips picks off a pass during the Vols' home win against Charlotte this past November. Multiple projections have Phillips as the only Vol likely to be taken in this week's NFL draft.KNOXVILLE - The NFL draft is in the state of Tennessee for the first time.
But will anybody from the University of Tennessee be selected?
The draft begins Thursday evening in downtown Nashville with the first round. The second and third rounds are Friday, and the remaining four rounds are Saturday.
There's no greater evidence of the current dearth of talent in the Volunteers' football program than the projections for this draft. Multiple predictions have no more than one Vol expected to be picked in any of the seven rounds.
That one player? Defensive end Kyle Phillips, projected by NFL.com to be taken in the fifth round. Phillips, who hails from Nashville, had 114 tackles, eight sacks and 16 tackles for loss during his Vols career.
CBSSports.com's seven-round projection has no one from UT being selected.
After six Vols were taken in 2017 and three were taken in 2018, this could mark the third time in five years UT is shut out of the draft.
Regardless, there are likely to be NFL opportunities for a number of Vols via free agency immediately after the draft. Last year, 11 players from UT signed free-agent deals, with punter Trevor Daniel going on to earn the Houston Texans' starting job.
Vols who could follow the free-agency route to NFL teams include defensive linemen Paul Bain, Alexis Johnson Jr. and Shy Tuttle; linebackers Jonathan Kongbo and Quart'e Sapp and defensive back Micah Abernathy.
Kongbo, once the top junior-college recruit in the country, missed the team's final six games this past season after injuring his right knee in the visiting Vols' 30-24 upset of No. 21 Auburn on Oct. 13, a game in which he had an interception.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.