KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright was taken by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday. Wright was the 120th overall pick and the first Vol to be taken in the draft.
Following his junior season at Tennessee, he declared that he would go pro, and during the draft process, he visited several teams. On his visit to Miami, he met the whole staff and said this was a team he could envision himself playing for.
"That was a team I really wanted to go to, which is crazy," said Wright. "It's the best visit I had. I'm just glad to have the opportunity to help make a difference."
The Dolphins offense is known for speed, and guys like Tyreek Hill, whom NFL fans call the "Cheetah," up the tempo on the team. Funny enough, Wright's dad had the same nickname for him growing up.
"Me and my dad came up with it a long, long time ago. I've always been fast, and he started calling me 'cheetah.' There's already a cheetah on the dolphins; I'll let him have that, that's his thing," Wright said. "But it's something my dad always said to me. Cheetah mentality is always gonna be a thing."
Wright will bring another element of explosiveness to Miami, and he believes he has something to prove when he gets to South Beach.
"Just adding another explosive asset, I mean, that just makes the offense just way better," Wright said. "I got a lot of fire built up in me right now from this whole process."
The fire stems from some teams he feels may have missed out on a great opportunity for a running back.
"I'm ready to get out there and prove my point, make these people feel that they passed on me. I'm just ready to bring that right to the field and make a lot of big plays," said Wright.
The Dolphins have several Jaylens on their team, all spelled differently, so when asked about what the city of Miami could call him as a nickname, he referred to what his Tennessee teammates knew him as.
"People call me J-Wright, which is just kind of simple. I don't have a big nickname, but J-Wright is what all my teammates call me," said Wright.
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 looking to put up similar numbers at the highest level in the NFL.
"I'm just ready to get going," said Wright.
