ESPN tabs Tennessee football's Jaylen Wright top-100 NFL Draft prospect

Jaylen Wright's stock is rising just days before the 2024 NFL Draft.

The former Tennessee football running back, who is coming off of a productive junior campaign with the Vols, was recently included in ESPN's top-100 prospects for the upcoming draft.

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Wright landed as the No. 48 overall prospect that will be available at the NFL Draft on April 25-27 in Detroit. He was rated as the second overall running back behind Texas' Jonathan Brooks, who was rated 35th.

"In every draft there are a handful of players who beg the question: why didn't he get more snaps?," Jeff Legwold wrote. "Wright is one of those players with ridiculous workout numbers...a career 6.2 yards per attempt average and the potential to have far more impact in the passing game. Wright has put the ball on the ground at times; he had four fumbles in 2022."

Wright was projected as the 91st overall pick in the third round to the Green Bay Packers, according to a mock draft by ESPN’s Jordan Reid on Monday.

“The Packers signed Josh Jacobs in free agency to replace Aaron Jones,” Reid wrote. “But Wright would bring a different element. He’s a home-run hitter who averaged 7.4 yards per carry (third in the FBS) and had 35 runs for 10-plus yards last season.”

Wright is one of a number of Tennessee players hoping to have their name called this weekend, including quarterback Joe Milton III, defensive backs Kamal Hadden and Gabe Jeudy-Lally and tight end McCallan Castles.

The first of seven rounds of the draft will begin Thursday at 8 p.m. ET with the second and third round starting Friday at 7 p.m. ET. The first first three rounds will air on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network.

Wright was the headliner of Tennessee's running backs room in 2023.

As a junior, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound Wright started 12 games and averaged 84.4 yards per game and nearly eight yards per rush, which ranked second in the FBS.

Wright totaled a career-high 1,013 rushing yards, becoming the first Vols' running back to rush for 1,000 yards since Jalen Hurd in 2015. He ate up chunks of yards at a time on touchdown runs of 82, 75 and 52 yards.

Behind Wright, Tennessee featured one of the most productive backfields in college football, ranking ninth nationally and first in the SEC in rushing at 204.8 yards per game

Wright finished the season as a All-SEC Second Team selection by the Associated Press.

Wright improved his draft stock at both the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and Tennessee's annual Pro Day last month.

At the combine, Wright turned in a 4.38 40-yard dash and a 1.55 second 10-yard split. He finished with a 38-inch vertical jump and his broad jump of 11 feet, 2 inches was the second best among running backs at the combine.

There were no official times at Pro Day, though it provided Wright with an opportunity to again showcase his speed in front of representatives from all 32 teams.

Explosive back with good size and breakaway speed," NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. "Wright’s running style is more linear than free-flowing, which limits his cut smoothness and elusiveness on the second level. His vision and aggression as an interior runner are just average, but that won’t stop him from putting yards on the stat sheet. He regularly bounced runs wide and beat the pursuit around the corner, so a move to a stretch-based running attack would be a natural fit, allowing his speed to shine.

"He’s capable of running with power, but he will default into finesse at times. Wright’s big-play potential and talent as a pass catcher should make him a Day 2 target as a future starter.

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