The Tennessee Vols had a number of players hear their names called in the 2025 NFL Draft. From James Pearce, Jr. in the first round, Omarr Norman-Lott in the second, and Dont’e Thornton, Jr. and Dylan Sampson in the fourth, some VFLs got to live out their dreams of becoming NFL players.
However, that wasn’t all for UT players joining the NFL ranks. Three players signed agreements with teams as undrafted free agents after the draft: Will Brooks with Kansas City, Omari Thomas with New Orleans, and Elijah Simmons with Arizona.
Those players won’t have to wait long to get their NFL careers underway, as rookie minicamps are already underway. The Chiefs got started on Saturday and go through Monday. Three former Vols are there now, with Trey Smith, Norman-Lott, and Brooks wearing Kansas City red.
Regarding undrafted free agents, Thomas and Simmons are both interesting players to watch for both the Saints and Cardinals, respectively. The Vols’ defensive line rotation was phenomenal in 2024 thanks in no small part to that duo. Like Norman-Lott, neither player was asked to do much as far as snap counts due to the Vols’ substantial defensive tackle rotation throughout the year. Thomas saw just 167 snaps, with Simmons logging 106. Thus, both players should enter offseason training activities with less tread worn off their tires compared to other players.
Thomas, interestingly, went through some offensive lineman drills during Tennessee’s Pro Day back in March, so it’ll be curious to see how he’s utilized in New Orleans. I’d expect on the defensive line, which is where he played exclusively at Tennessee, but we’ll see soon enough.
Best of luck to those seven rookie Vols starting their NFL careers this week.