Dennis Rogan & Eric Berry leave for the NFL

by Will Shelton on Jan 19, 2010 2:20 PM EST in Tennessee Volunteer Football

It's good news/bad news for the Vols at the NFL Draft deadline for juniors: Luke Stocker is staying in Knoxville, but Dennis Rogan will join Eric Berry and forego his senior season. Rogan was the Vols best cornerback this season and also had some big kick returns during his Tennessee career. The Knoxville native leaves question marks at corner for Tennessee next season, with Art Evans returning but Rogan and Brent Vinson now both gone. File that away as another issue for Derek Dooley (and Kevin Steele) to work out.

While Berry is a sure thing at the top of the board, it'll be interesting to see where Rogan falls. The always excellent Music City Miracles has the complete list released by the NFL today (ht VolBrian) - here are the SEC players that are turning pro early:

Alabama: DB Kareem Jackson, LB Rolando McClain
Arkansas: DB Jerell Norton
Florida: DE Carlos Dunlap, DB Joe Haden, TE Aaron Hernandez, C Maurkice Pouncey, DB Major Wright
Georgia: LB Rennie Curran, DB Reshad Jones
LSU: DB Chad Jones
Ole Miss: QB Jevan Snead
South Carolina: DE Clifton Geathers
Tennessee: DB Eric Berry, DB Dennis Rogan

If you're scoring at home, that's a dozen defensive players and only three on the offensive side of the ball. Perhaps points will be easier to come by in 2010.

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Rogan? Seriously?

Will he even get drafted?

by golfballs03 on Jan 19, 2010 2:45 PM EST reply actions

I do not think

he’s draft ready.

"We've got weapons, we've still got weapons... That's terrible, I apologize."
- Bruce Pearl

by bsmithinc on Jan 19, 2010 3:22 PM EST up reply actions

I don't think he'll get drafted

I see this as a huge mistake by Rogan

MCM and RTT commenter.

CJ2K!

by crazylegs28 on Jan 19, 2010 3:30 PM EST up reply actions

Wow...

I’m really high on Rogan, and I think someone will get a steal in the late rounds with him, but I think this could really cost him a lot of money. The only way i see him sneaking into the first day of the draft (though is that now the second day?) is if he runs some unbelievable 40 time (sub 4.4). Does anyone know what his approx. 40 is?

by McGreal on Jan 19, 2010 2:56 PM EST reply actions

There could be a lot more to the story, too.

Grades, possibly? Another issue is that Rogan is from North Knoxville. In all this craziness over the last few years, he has had the luxury of retreating to … Knoxville to escape. Most players can at least go home on occasion and shut the news down. It’s possible that his level of burnout is high enough that moving on is better for him, even if he doesn’t get drafted.

by David Hooper on Jan 19, 2010 5:33 PM EST reply actions