NFL Draft: Tennessee DB Kamal Hadden taken by the Chiefs in sixth round

Kamal Hadden is off the board.

The Tennessee defensive back was taken by the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs as the 211th overall pick in the sixth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday.

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He joins Vols teammates Jaylen Wright and Joe Milton III who were previously selected in the fourth and fifth rounds on Saturday.

A former JUCO prospect, Hadden transferred to Tennessee in 2021 and spent three seasons with the Vols.

After struggling at times in his first two years with the program, Hadden emerged as one of Tennessee’s most consistent players in the secondary as a senior in 2023.

In the first six games of the season, Hadden was targeted 33 times by opposing quarterbacks and allowed just 12 completions while not giving up a touchdown. The 36.4% completion percentage against him ranked Hadden among the most effective defensive backs in the FBS.

The 6-foot-1, 197-pound Hadden earned a 90.4 defensive coverage grade which was the second highest in the SEC according to Pro Football Focus.

Hadden accounted for three interceptions last season, including one returned for a touchdown that headlined the Vols' 41-20 rout of South Carolina on Sept. 30 before his season was cut short due to a shoulder injury he sustained against Alabama on Oct. 21.

Though he was sidelined for the remainder of the season, Hadden was one of three Tennessee players to earn NFL Scouting Combine invites in February and had a strong showing at Tennessee's annual Pro Day last month.

Hadden is the third Vols' defensive back to be taken in two of the last three drafts, joining Alontae Taylor and Theo Jackson who were both selected in the 2022 draft.

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