Tennessee joins rare company after Dylan Sampson is selected in 2025 NFL Draft

Tennessee on Saturday saw Dylan Sampson, the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, picked by the Cleveland Browns in the 4th round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

That pick put the Volunteers in a rare club. They’re the only program in the country to have a running back taken within the first four rounds of the NFL Draft over the last 2 seasons, according to Tennessee SID Bill Martin. Last year, Jaylen Wright was a 4th round pick by the Miami Dolphins.

As Martin also notes, every running back that has started for Tennessee in the Josh Heupel era is in the NFL. While Wright, who led the Vols in rushing in 2022 and 2023, was taken by the Dolphins in 2024, Jabari Small, the team’s leading rusher in 2021, ultimately signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent.

Now, Sampson is the latest to enter the pros, as he begins his journey with the Browns. He totaled 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns, both school records, as part of a highly productive final season with Tennessee. For his career, he posted 2,492 yards and 35 touchdowns, ranking 9th in school history in rushing yards and tied for 3rd in TDs.