After a year without a player selected in the NFL Draft, Tennessee outside linebacker Darrell Taylor got the Vols back in the mix Friday, going No. 48 overall to the Seattle Seahawks in Round 2.

Taylor became the Vols’ earliest selection since Derek Barnett went in the first round to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017.

On Thursday, Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt touted Taylor as a “a first-round talent” on former Vol Eric Ainge’s radio show, and per sources, the Seahawks seriously considered selecting Taylor on Day 1.

“He was dominant last spring,” Pruitt said. “I mean, when you don’t practice, it’s hard to improve as a player. He didn’t do a whole lot of practicing this last fall. Wherever he goes in the draft, I think he’s going to get a steal there.”

Taylor had back-to-back seasons of 8.5 sacks in 2018 and 2019, but he played much of his senior year with a minor foot injury that held back his development a bit. Still, he was seen as a fast-riser late in the draft process due to his upside and 6-4, 260-pound frame.

“He developed a little bit of a stress fracture, a stress situation, in his lower leg during fall camp last year,” Pruitt said on the radio Thursday morning.

“It really limited him to kind of taking his game to the next level. I think it shows you a little bit about his toughness. I think wherever he gets drafted, someone is going to get a steal there.”

Taylor, a native of Virginia, finished his Tennessee career with 19.5 sacks, 10th-most all-time in school history, adding 26.5 TFLs and 118 total tackles.