Rounding up how former Tennessee stars – including several rookies and second-year players – performed in Week 1 of the NFL’s preseason.
Patrick Brown
Tennessee is in the middle of its own preseason camp preparing for the 2024 college football season, but plenty of former Vols in the NFL are getting ready for seasons of their own at the next level and several were having productive performances during Week 1 of the preseason. There were a total of 40 former Tennessee players on NFL rosters as teams opened their training camps in late July, including 13 players who were NFL Draft picks over the previous three years. While some veteran VFLs played little or not at all, several rookies made their NFL debuts and others saw extended playing time as they try to make their teams.
GoVols247 rounds up how every former Tennessee player performed during Week 1 of the NFL Preseason.
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MILTON, WRIGHT SHINE IN NFL DEBUTS
Quarterback Joe Milton III shined in his Patriots debut, flashing his big arm and his athletic ability during his time on the field. The sixth-round pick scrambled his way to a field-reversing first-down run early on before throwing a frozen rope to JaQuae Jackson for a 38-yard touchdown. Milton finished 4-of-6 passing for 54 yards with the score and added 22 yards on five carries against the Panthers.
Tennessee’s highest 2024 NFL Draft pick was running back Jaylen Wright, and he also looked really good in his first game in a Dolphins uniform. The 120th overall pick rushed for 55 yards on 10 carries and scored a 6-yard touchdown against the Falcons. Though he fumbled an exchange with the quarterback (and recovered it), Wright had runs of 9 and 10 yards on the drive ended by his touchdown and later had a 14-yard run on third-and-9.
WELCOME BACK, HENDON
In his first game action since tearing his ACL at South Carolina late in the 2022 season, quarterback Hendon Hooker showed signs of life before having to leave the game. The 2023 third-round pick was 5-of-9 passing for 36 yards and rushed four times for 34 yards. Hooker took off on a scramble and lowered a shoulder to run over a defensive back – the play popped on social media, but led to him entering concussion protocol (in which he remains).
Hooker started the second half against the Giants and his first drive ended in a punt, but his second drive saw him take Detroit down the field before having a pass batted down on fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard-line.
ROOKIE ROUNDUP
> CB Kamal Hadden (Chiefs): In his first game action since suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against Alabama last October, the sixth-round pick had one tackle on seven snaps on defense and also played a dozen snaps on special teams.
> SAF Jaylen McCollough (Rams): The 51-game starter for the Vols created some buzz with his first NFL performances, which saw him make five tackles, including a nice open-field play, in 44 defensive snaps against the Cowboys.
> CB Gabe Jeudy-Lally (Titans): Another former Tennessee defensive back had a solid NFL debut as Jeudy-Lally had four tackles, second-most on the team, in 32 defensive snaps against the 49ers.
> RB Jabari Small (Titans): The Memphis native made his NFL debut in the same stadium where he opened the 2023 season, totaling 18 yards on 10 carries with runs of 6 and 7 yards against the 49ers at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
> TE Jacob Warren (Patriots): The undrafted rookie played 17 snaps on offense against the Panthers.
> WR Ramel Keyton (Raiders): The undrafted rookie started the second half and played 26 snaps on offense, but was not targeted against the Vikings.
> OL Jeremiah Crawford (Panthers): The undrafted-free-agent signing, who started 13 games (nine at left tackle, four at right tackle) in three seasons at Tennessee, played 26 snaps at right tackle against the Patriots.
> UTIL Dee Williams (Seahawks): The special teams ace for the Vols is listed as a wide receiver on Seattle’s official website, but played on defense in his NFL debut, making one tackle on 14 snaps while also playing 10 on special teams, where he made another tackle and had one punt return for minus-2 yards.
> OL Jerome Carvin (Bears): The 2023 undrafted free agent, signed by Chicago late last season, has two NFL games under his belt this preseason. He played 35 snaps at center and left guard in the Hall of Fame Game earlier this month. Against the Bills in Week 1 of the preseason, he played 36 snaps at center and right guard as he vies for a roster spot.
CASTLES SIDELINED BY INJURY
One of the top Tennessee prospects not to be drafted in April, McCallan Castles is dealing with some adversity early on in his NFL career. The tight end suffered a leg injury in a practice earlier this month. The Eagles waived him with an injury designation, and after he cleared waivers he reverted to the team’s injured reserve list. Castles will miss the entire 2024 season unless he reaches an injury settlement with Philadelphia allowing the team to release him.
JONES, DOBBS FIND THE END ZONE
Two non-rookie former Vols scored touchdowns to start their preseasons.
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs, now with the 49ers after signing a deal with them following a 2023 season that saw him start games for the Cardinals and Vikings, returned to the Volunteer State and scored on a 6-yard touchdown run against the Titans. He was 14-of-20 passing for 146 yards and one interception. He is vying with veteran Brandon Allen for the backup job behind Brock Purdy in San Francisco.
Velus Jones Jr. has gotten some work at running back ahead of his third season with the Bears, and he looked natural taking a toss sweep and racing to the end zone for a 4-yard score against the Bills. The 2022 third-round pick totaled 34 yards on six carries and also had a 19-yard run on his 12 snaps on offense. Jones added a 13-yard kickoff return as well.
REST OF THE VFLs
> WR Jalin Hyatt (Giants): The 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner started and caught one pass for 0 yards on the opening drive while playing just 11 snaps against the Lions.
> WR Cedric Tillman (Browns): A light night for Tillman as well as the 2023 third-round pick started, was targeted twice and caught one pass for 3 yards on 12 snaps against the Packers.
> OL Darnell Wright (Bears): The 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team selection started at right tackle and played 20 snaps against the Bills.
> TE Princeton Fant (Cowboys): The second-year undrafted free agent, who spent last season on Dallas’s practice squad and played in two games, caught two passes for 7 yards on 19 snaps against the Rams.
> OL Trey Smith (Chiefs): The two-time Super Bowl champion started at right guard and played just six snaps against the Jaguars.
> RB Alvin Kamara (Saints): The five-time Pro Bowler started and had two carries for 3 yards on a light night (seven snaps) against the Cardinals.
> CB Alontae Taylor (Saints): Coming off his breakout second season, the 2022 second-round pick started and had one tackle in 10 snaps against Arizona.
> SAF Theo Jackson (Vikings): He led Minnesota with seven tackles and played 49 snaps on defense against the Raiders.
> OL Cade Mays (Panthers): The 2022 sixth-round pick started at center (like his younger brother Cooper currently does for the Vols) and played 28 snaps there and at right guard with two penalties against the Patriots.
> DL Matthew Butler (Raiders): The 2022 fifth-round pick made one tackle in 19 snaps on defense against the Vikings.
> LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (Lions): The veteran started at linebacker and had three tackles against the Giants.
> SAF Micah Abernathy (Falcons): The defensive back had four tackles on 28 snaps on defense against the Dolphins.
> DE Derek Barnett (Texans): The veteran pass-rusher kicked off his eighth NFL season by starting and recording one tackle and one quarterback hit in 18 snaps against the Steelers.
> CB Cameron Sutton (Steelers): After returning to Pittsburgh following some off-field troubles this offseason, the veteran defensive back played 18 snaps and had no stats against the Texans.
> LS Morgan Cox (Titans): The 15-year NFL veteran specialist was flawless on two field goals, two punts and two extra points against the 49ers.
> DL Kendal Vickers (Saints): Suiting up for his sixth NFL team, Vickers had one tackle on 39 snaps against the Cardinals.
> RB John Kelly Jr. (Browns): The veteran running back, formerly of the Rams, had four carries for 15 yards, caught five of his six targets for 19 yards and lost a fumble against the Packers before being released earlier this week.
> WR Marquez Callaway (Saints): A preseason change saw Callaway return to New Orleans, but the team released him this week after he was targeted once on 15 snaps against the Cardinals.
DID NOT PLAY
- DT Shy Tuttle (Panthers)
- CB Emmanuel Moseley (Lions) – Out indefinitely with a torn pectoral, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter
- RB Cordarrelle Patterson (Steelers)
- WR Jauan Jennings (49ers)
- WR Joshua Palmer (Chargers)
- OLB Darrell Taylor (Seahawks)
- OLB Byron Young (Rams)
