Derek Barnett rose above Tide in draft
Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett never beat Alabama on the field. But he beat it Thursday night in the NFL draft.
The Philadelphia Eagles' selection of Barnett as the 14th pick overall was the beginning of Tennessee's best draft showing since 2010 when it had two players taken in the first round and six overall. This time, the Vols had six players picked in the first four rounds.
And Barnett was picked ahead of all the star players who helped Alabama win the 2015 national championship and almost win another one this past season.
Think of all the recent drafts in which you saw Alabama highlights at UT's expense: A pass rusher blowing by an overmatched Tennessee blocker, a wide receiver distancing himself from the UT secondary, an Alabama running back punching a hole in UT's front seven.
But this time, you saw Barnett dashing by Alabama All-American offensive tackle Cam Robinson on the way to the quarterback.
He reminds me of former Syracuse defensive end Dwight Freeney, who has starred for years in the NFL. No one ever had a quicker first step coming off the line. Barnett is built similarly to Freeney and has an initial burst that sets him apart from so many pass rushers.
Production pays off: Detroit's selection of UT linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin was another testament to production. A shoulder injury sabotaged his senior season, and he's smaller than the prototypical NFL linebacker, but he has a great knack for making plays.
And a Detroit defense that ranked 18th last season needs playmakers. Earlier in the draft, the Lions selected Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis and Florida cornerback Teez Tabor.
Good fit for Dobbs: UT quarterback Joshua Dobbs, a fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, will join one of the NFL's best-run franchises. He also will have time to develop behind established quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger, 35, will begin his 14th season as a starter this fall.
Another good fit: Tennessee running back Alvin Kamara had reason to believe he would be drafted sooner but shouldn't complain about being picked by the New Orleans Saints, who have led the NFL in yards per game in six of the past 11 seasons.
Coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees know how to maximize offensive talent. They could help Kamara flourish as a running back and receiver.
More offensive: No one should have been surprised when Cincinnati picked UT wide receiver Josh Malone in the fourth round. The Bengals have 18 former SEC players on their current 60-man roster, and they need to improve an offense that ranked 24th in points per game last season.
It also drafted Washington wide receiver John Ross and Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon.
Manning up: A philosophical defensive change contributed to the Steelers selecting UT cornerback Cam Sutton. They want to employ more man-to-man coverage and believe Sutton is well suited for that.
He will be competing with young starting cornerbacks — Artie Burns, a first-round draft pick last season, and Ross Cockrell, a Buffalo Bills fourth-round pick in 2014.
Reach John Adams at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com and on Twitter @johnadamskns.