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Butch Jones: Draft lifts Tennessee recruiting

Mike Strange, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

 

It's easier to sell the NFL dream to recruits when you have a draft weekend like Tennessee just had.

Returning Tennessee to a presence in the NFL draft  is "monumental" for recruiting, coach Butch Jones said Monday.

"We always talk about coming here and developing yourself to your fullest potential,'' Jones said. "Not only just football wise, but academically and being a pro whatever career you have.

"To have that reality happen is the evidence of developing our football players. I'm just excited for how far they've come.''

Jones was speaking at his annual appearance for Variety of Eastern Tennessee, a Regal Entertainment Group charity that raises funds for special-needs children. 

After not having a single player drafted in 2015 or 2016, the Vols saw six players selected, all in the first four rounds of the seven-round draft that took place Thursday through Saturday.

Derek Barnett went in the first round, Alvin Kamara and Cameron Sutton in the third and Josh Malone, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Joshua Dobbs in the fourth.

Jones attended the first-round session in Philadelphia as a guest of Barnett in the Green Room. The Philadelphia Eagles chose the defensive end with the 14th pick.

"That ranks up there with some very powerful experiences,'' Jones said, "just going through the emotions, the twists and turns a draft can take, the things the cameras don't see.''

Hoping for the Eagles

Jones said Barnett was hoping for a call when the Eagles went on the clock.

"You're sitting there with the 10 minutes each team is allotted for its first-round pick,'' Jones said. "Usually they call you five minutes into it. We're sitting at the table and the five-minute mark occurs and there's no call. Then they actually called on his private number. We weren't expecting the call to come in on that phone. It came with two or three minutes left.''

Barnett was overcome with emotion. Jones said Barnett is prepared for the inevitable comparisons to former Eagles great Reggie White, whose UT career sack record Barnes broke in just three seasons.

"Derek's used to that,'' Jones said. 

Jones was glad to see both quarterback Dobbs and defensive back Sutton land with Pittsburgh. He counts Steelers coach Mike Tomlin as a close friend. Jones was also happy to see linebacker Reeves-Maybin get a shot after an injury-shortened senior season.

"The perseverance, resiliency and resolve that he's shown has obviously made him a better person,'' Jones said. "But I think it's also going to make him a better pro.''

As Jones and his staff continue to assemble the Class of 2018, tangible proof of sending players to the next level can't be overstated. Six players drafted in the first four rounds hasn't happened at UT since 2002.

"It's very symbolic of how far we've come as a program,'' Jones said, "and in a very short period of time.''