Trey Smith's NFL Draft drop ends as Kansas City Chiefs pick Tennessee football product

Trey Smith plans to be a mainstay on an NFL offensive line for years to come.

The Kansas City Chiefs will give the Tennessee football product the opportunity to do so. The Chiefs picked the guard in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft on Saturday with the No. 226 overall pick.

The 6-foot-5, 321-pound Smith plummeted to the sixth round after he was projected as a third-round pick by Pro Football Focus. He vowed on Twitter he "will never forget" after going undrafted in the first three rounds Thursday and Friday.

There were 30 offensive linemen selected before Smith.

After being selected by the Chiefs, he tweeted "To god be the Ultimate praise, honor, and glory!" 

Wide receiver Josh Palmer was the first UT player picked.

The Los Angeles Chargers selected Palmer in the third round with the No. 77 overall pick Friday. UT hadn't had a wide receiver picked in the top three rounds since Cordarrelle Patterson was a first-rounder and Justin Hunter was a second-round choice in 2013.

Smith signed with Tennessee as a five-star prospect in the 2016 recruiting class. The Jackson, Tennessee, native was a two-time All-SEC selection with the Vols. He started 41 games in his career. and can play tackle or guard.  

Smith was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs early in 2018, and a subsequent medical concern tied to that initial diagnosis caused him to miss the final five games of the 2018 season. He didn't miss a game in his final two seasons at Tennessee.

Smith followed a specialized medical and practice plan for the 2019 season, during which he participated in just two full-contact practices. His medical team adjusted the plan in 2020, allowing him to be a full-contact practice participant.

“It’s a plan that not only will sustain itself in the NFL, it will have a lot of success, as well,” Smith said.

He pointed to David Andrews and Russell Okung as NFL linemen who continued their careers after being diagnosed with blood clots in their lungs.

The 6-2, 210-pound Palmer was one of Tennessee's top players in 2020, when he caught 33 passes for 475 yards and four touchdowns.

Bryce Thompson lands deal

Cornerback Bryce Thompson went undrafted, but signed with the New Orleans Saints following the draft.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.