Tennessee Football: Volunteers' Top 2016 NFL Draft Prospects

The last time a Tennessee Volunteers football player wasn't selected in the NFL draft, John F. Kennedy was president. The year was 1963.

That is, until this past week's draft when the Volunteers were shut out.

The only real chance the Vols had for anybody to get selected was nickelback Justin Coleman, who wound up signing as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Vikings. Middle linebacker A.J. Johnson was a near shoo-in to be drafted until an ongoing sexual assault investigation.

A new streak is almost certain to begin next year.

According to drafthistory.com, the Vols are the eighth-most prolific college program in producing NFL talent. Even if that list hasn't been updated since this week's draft, UT still would firmly be in the top 10.

With the way head coach Butch Jones is recruiting, Tennessee is about to start another healthy run of putting talented players in the NFL.

A versatile player, such as Curt Maggitt, who can play a number of positions should be an attractive option for pro teams when his college days are done. Others, such as talented cornerback Cameron Sutton, are good enough to bypass their final season.

Then, there are others, such as safeties Brian Randolph and LaDarrell McNeil and guard Marcus Jackson, who narrowly missed the list.

Let's take a look at UT's top draft prospects for next season's festivities.

Cameron Sutton, Cornerback

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The best pro prospect on Tennessee's roster who'll be eligible to leave after the 2015 season is rising junior cornerback Sutton.

The slick, 6'1", 189-pound defensive back from Jonesboro, Georgia, was anointed a star almost from the day he arrived on campus when it became clear he'd start right away.

He's done nothing since then but impress.

It was a travesty when he was shut out of the all-conference teams last year after a season that saw him grow into a defender who quarterbacks avoided and put up impressive numbers in the meantime. He had 37 tackles, including four tackles for loss, as well as three interceptions and 13 passes broken up.

Many times, he'd bait quarterbacks into bad passes and became a shutdown corner as the season progressed.

The sure-handed Sutton also returned punts for the Vols, averaging 11.3 yards per return and taking one back 76 yards for a touchdown against the Vanderbilt Commodores.

WalterFootball.com's Charlie Campbell has Sutton leaving early and getting taken eighth by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"He is a very physical defender who plays with a chip on his shoulder," Campbell wrote.

Bleacher Report's Sean O'Donnell has Sutton going 27th overall to the Denver Broncos, which would make him the fifth cornerback taken. He's much better than that.

Sutton has quietly produced both seasons he's been on Rocky Top, emerging as a leader for the Vols this offseason. With more talent around him this year, opponents can't avoid him, and he'll have the opportunity to make more plays.

If he does, this may be his final season in Knoxville.

Marquez North, Wide Receiver

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The most physically gifted player on Tennessee's roster may just be junior receiver Marquez North. The 6'4", 224-pound pass-catcher looked like an NFL receiver the moment he arrived in Knoxville, and he has only continued to be a workout monster.

Now, all those physical assets and praise from the coaches for his work ethic need to turn into numbers.

North appeared well on his way to a quality season in 2014 until injuries hampered the final two games he played, and a surgery robbed him of the season's final three contests. The Charlotte, North Carolina, product wound up with 30 catches for 320 yards and four touchdowns.

Showing the propensity to get into the end zone was a huge step for North, who scored just once as a freshman.

Once mentioned in the same breath as Laquon Treadwell, North has become kind of an afterthought following last year's injury. He was limited this spring, and it's been a while since he was at full strength. When he is, he has shown the speed to run past defenders and the strength to wrestle balls away.

WalterFootball.com has the Vols' biggest receiving weapon as the No. 5 receiver in its 2016 draft projections. That would place him toward the end of the first round or the top of the second. This year's fifth receiver taken was Central Florida Knights' Breshad Perriman, who went 26th overall to the Baltimore Ravens.

Bleacher Report's Daniel Rogers has North heading to the New England Patriots with the 31st overall pick in his early mock draft.

If North is healthy, he'll produce. He's too big, too strong, too talented and too experienced not to. The Vols receiving corps has underachieved in each of the past two seasons, and North has to lead the way back to that group, being the biggest strength on the offense.

Curt Maggitt, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker

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The Vols' emotional leader and defensive stalwart Maggitt has been through a lot of trials as a college player, missing part of one season and all of another one with torn knee ligaments.

He has changed positions to accommodate the team because it was a necessity, and he has become a versatile, dependable and dynamic defender.

Will all that translate on the next level?

To put it bluntly, Maggitt is not looked upon as being a can't-miss pro prospect. When he tested the waters after his junior season, it would have been a surprise if he'd gone. He needs to show NFL teams that he can stay fully healthy for another season, and he needs to be as productive as he was a season ago.

The West Palm Beach, Florida, player finished with 48 tackles and led the Vols with 11 sacks a season ago. He also had 15 tackles for loss, forced a fumble and had five quarterback hurries. 

With a nickelback on the field, Maggitt put his hand down and rushed the passer from the defensive end position. He moved back to his natural outside linebacker spot in traditional sets. 

Still, even with all that production, WalterFootball.com rates Maggitt only as the 22nd outside linebacker in next year's class.

It's up to him to make believers out of scouts everywhere in his final season on the Hill. If he does, some NFL team will get a dedicated worker who can be a leader on the field and off.

Alvin Kamara, Running Back

Credit: 247Sports

It seems crazy to believe that Alvin Kamara could be one-and-done in Knoxville.

But the redshirt sophomore will be eligible to jump to the NFL after the 2015 season if he has a big year. Yes, that's a stretch, considering Kamara didn't play in his one year with the Alabama Crimson Tide and has only produced at Hutchinson Community College, but it's possible.

The skill set certainly is there. At 5'11", 210 pounds, Kamara has the size NFL teams covet. He also has next-level speed and can change direction in the quickness of a hiccup.

After time paying JUCO dues, Kamara is thrilled to be sharing carries with a power back like Jalen Hurd. The duo could do big things in Knoxville, and they complement each other extremely well.

"They both know that they need each other," Jones told The Associated Press' Steve Megargee. "You can never have enough running backs. I think that has been proven over time. Their relationship—they push each other. They coach each other. They help each other. They respect each other."

Most likely, Kamara will hang around in Knoxville for a couple of seasons. With Hurd expected to be a feature back, pro teams may need a couple of seasons to see how Kamara produces and to see if the lessons he has learned off the field between his time in Tuscaloosa and Knoxville produce character results.

From a talent evaluation standpoint, however, you don't have to worry about Kamara being on the NFL's radar. A player as skilled as him, who can do everything with the ball in his hands, doesn't slip through the cracks.

Kamara has the chance to be special, and he has never even played a snap in Knoxville. That's not a logic leap, either. If he blows up and has a huge year, it may be his only year here.

Pig Howard, Wide Receiver

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The odyssey of Alton "Pig" Howard's Tennessee career has been long, windy and riddled with potholes, such as his indefinite suspension and absence from the Vols last offseason.

One thing you can't deny, though, is when he is on the field, he has been a reliable weapon. The 5'8", 187-pound rising senior slot receiver led UT with 54 catches for 618 yards a season ago, and he scored a receiving touchdown, as well. Howard also ran for two more as coaches tried to get the ball in his hands.

Though he isn't blessed with explosive speed or great size, Howard has elite quickness. He also shows a knack for getting open and has proven over the course of his time in Knoxville that he can play both outside and in the slot.

It's easy to doubt somebody of Howard's size and stature, but all he does is make plays. He gets overshadowed by teammates who have a more daunting physical appearance, but none of them have produced like Howard.

Even so, he hasn't wowed any scouts just yet.

NFLDraftScout.com rates Howard as the No. 36 receiver in next year's draft. This year, 34 receivers were taken, so Howard will have to move up some boards a little more to be picked.

Both he and safeties Brian Randolph and LaDarrell McNeil are players who figure to be right on the cusp of being draftable. All three could go, but none of them may. Howard gets the slight nod for this article over the duo simply because he fits a niche.

Howard is fast and physical enough to fit the mold of an NFL slot receiver. He'd really need to produce on the field and have a good showing at the NFL combine, but if he does, there's no reason why he can't play at the next level.

Every year, it seems Howard makes more believers out of people. With a big senior season, somebody is going to take a flier on him at the next level.

Joshua Dobbs, Quarterback

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An NFL future seems to be a distinct possibility for Tennessee's rising junior signal-caller, but even if that doesn't happen, Joshua Dobbs will probably make plenty of money as an aeronautical engineer.

That career may have to wait. 

After a sophomore season when Dobbs burst onto the scene to lead the Vols to a bowl victory, he flashed the skill set that made NFL scouts take notice.

Following his first start of 2014—a scintillating comeback overtime victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks on the road—NFL.com's Bucky Brooks gushed over his raw tools.

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From his pinpoint passing skills from the pocket to his slick execution of the Vols' quarterback running game, Dobbs capably executes the traditional and movement-based concepts that are prevalent in today's game.

Dobbs displayed the patience, courage and awareness to hang in the pocket under duress to deliver accurate strikes to his pass-catchers on the perimeter. Yet, Dobbs also showed the elusiveness and agility to flee the pocket when creases opened along the interior.

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Since then, Dobbs has only impressed more. After working on his mechanics, release point and repeating his mechanics this offseason, the 6'3", 218-pound quarterback looked like a more finished product this spring.

With tons of talent surrounding him, it's possible Dobbs could be primed for a monster 2015 season. Though it seems out of character for him to leave early, considering his prowess as a student, what if he already graduates? What then?

It seems most likely that Dobbs will be a four-year player in Knoxville because of his major, the fact that he has still yet to be a starter over the equivalent of an entire season and because he is just now beginning to realize his potential.

But he has the dual-threat ability the NFL (and college) teams currently covet—he's uber-intelligent, and he is beginning to show the propensity to throw the football well every time he drops back.

With a huge junior season, pro football may at least become something on the Alpharetta, Georgia, quarterback's radar.

Observations obtained firsthand, unless otherwise noted. All statistics gathered from UTSports.com, unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information obtained from 247Sports.com.

Brad Shepard covers SEC football and is the Tennessee Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.