George Walker IV – USA TODAY Sports
Tennessee’s 2022 draft picks gave us plenty of reasons for optimism over the course of the offseason.
We already touched on Malik Willis, who has been progressing each and every week, culminating in the rookie having his best game of the preseason on Saturday night, which should have locked down the backup job.
Offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere also proved to be ahead of schedule by winning the right tackle job over second-year pro and 2021 second-round selection, Dillon Radunz.
At receiver, Kyle Philips was a tough cover in camp and busted off an electric punt return in preseason Week 2, and Treylon Burks recovered nicely from his early conditioning issues and saved his best preseason game for last.
At tight end, Chigoziem Okonkwo has impressed and was able to make an impact in multiple preseason games. At cornerback, Roger McCreary not only gave Caleb Farley a run for his money, he might have won the job entirely.
We’ve also seen flashes from defensive back Theo Jackson, linebacker Chance Campbell and running back Hassan Haskins.
All in all, it was a very good offseason for Tennessee’s rookies and the excitement fans have about the 2022 draft class is warranted.
