No. 1: Eric Berry (DB)
Selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 5th pick (1st round) of the 2010 NFL Draft
Now retired, Berry’s nine-year run in Kansas City was nothing short of legendary. A Jim Thorpe winner at Tennessee, Berry is the highest UT player taken in the 2010s.
Berry’s rookie deal made him the highest paid safety in NFL history, and went to the first of his five Pro Bowls, when he established himself with 77 total tackles and four interceptions in his first year as a pro.
In 2014, Berry’s career was halted after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Nine months later, Berry was cancer-free and back with the Chiefs. 55 tackles and two interceptions in 2015 helped Berry be named the Comeback Player of the Year.
His cancer diagnosis and nagging injuries throughout hampered Berry’s chances at an even longer career, but when healthy he was one of the most dangerous safeties in recent memory. A hard-hitting, ball-hawking defensive back, Berry lived up to the lofty hype of his No. 5 overall pick.