Thursday, April 25, marks the beginning of the NFL Draft; two former UTM Skyhawks and Draft hopefuls will be anxiously awaiting Commissioner Rodger Goodell to call their names.
Quentin Sims and Montori Hughes are both expected to be selected in the upcoming draft, however where they will go is entirely unknown.
Hughes’ path to the draft has been one that has been very unconventional. Once considered one of the better defensive tackles in a strong 2009 University of Tennessee recruiting class, he spent his first semester after graduating high school at Hargrave Military Academy due to academic issues.
In 2010, he made his way back to the Vols, but missed the season finale because of academic issues. After even more off the field issues, Hughes transferred from UTK to UTM where he joined the Skyhawks.
“Hughes is a wide-body nose tackle with the agility scouts and coaches love to see,” states NFL.com. “He needed a prep school detour for academic issues, which dogged him during his time in Tennessee, as well before his dismissal from that program. Teams will need to see him prove his work ethic, but if he does, he could be a nice rotational piece for a 4-3 base defensive team at the next level.”
At the combine he ran a 5.23 40-yard dash and totaled 22 reps of 225lbs on the bench press. NFL.com has rated him at 68.7 and ranked as the 32nd best defensive linemen.
Former Skyhawk wideout, Sims, also had an interesting route to UTM. In high school, Sims played wide receiver, running back and even moved to quarterback during a state playoff game. He decided to take his talents to Georgia Tech, but an urge to focus his skills at wide receiver influenced him to join the Skyhawks.
While Hughes has been getting most of the attention from scouts, Sims seems to be okay with it.
“My plan is to get into camp and make that team seriously wonder how I made it that far under the radar,” Sims said in an interview with nfldraftzone.com.
Despite the fact many teams project Sims to be a priority free agent after the draft, he is eager to get into camp and prove his worth.
“I would tell [a team] that they would be using a draft pick that they would not regret,” Sims said. “I can play on every special team and would give it my all doing so. I am a very intelligent player and an extremely fast learner. I would be a guy they would never have any issues with and would always be where I needed to be when I needed to be there. I have always pushed everyone around me and have made other players better because of that.”
Many mock-drafts have Hughes going anywhere from the bottom of the third round to the fifth round, while Sims is widely regarded to go undrafted and sign with a team shortly after the draft. Sims recently had a visit with the Cincinnati Bengals. Hughes has spent time with representatives from the Washington Redskins, including a visit to team facilities.
The first round of the NFL Draft is scheduled for Thursday, April 25, at 8 p.m. The second and third rounds will take place Friday, April 26, at 6:30 p.m. with rounds four through seven being held on Saturday, April 27, at noon. The draft can be seen live on NFL Network.
