DETROIT — Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday.
He was the 120th overall pick in the draft and the first Vol to be taken in the draft.
Wright declared to go pro following his junior season where he found a lot of success in the running game, which landed him on the Associated Press All-SEC second team. He had 1,013 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 137 carries. Wright was the first 1,000-yard rusher at Tennessee since Jalen Hurd did so in 2015.
He averaged 7.4 yards per attempt, which nationally ranked only behind LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who won the Heisman. His yards per carry were the best by a Vol running back since Hall of Famer Hank Lauricella had 7.94 yards per carry in 1951.
He had six 100-yard rushing games for the Vols last season. All four of his touchdowns came on 40 + yard rushes. He had a 42-yard touchdown against South Carolina, a 52-yard one against Kentucky, an 82-yard scamper against Connecticut and a 75-yard dash against Georgia.
He impressed in the NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.28 40-yard dash, which was the second-fastest among all running backs. He tied for fourth among running backs in the vertical jump at 48 inches. He had the best broad jump in his position group with a jump of 11 feet, 2 inches.
In three seasons at Tennessee, Wright finished with 2,297 yards and 18 touchdowns. He had a career-high 10 touchdowns in his sophomore season.
He is the first Tennessee running back taken in the NFL Draft since John Kelly was selected in 2018 in the sixth round by the Los Angeles Rams. Wright is the highest drafted running back out of Tennessee since Alvin Kamara was selected in 2017 by the New Orleans Saints in the third round.
