They may be mere months removed from a run to the AFC Championship Game, but the Titans have more needs now than they did at this point last year
In 2019, the Titans could have gone in nearly any direction with their first-round selection, as there weren’t a lot of glaring roster holes to fill.
This year? They’ve got some patching up to do — the trade of defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, the departure of right tackle Jack Conklin in free agency and the unsigned status of Logan Ryan has created three specific areas of need.
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That doesn’t necessarily mean the Titans will use their first-round pick on a defensive lineman, right tackle or cornerback. We all know general manager Jon Robinson is full of surprises. Some have speculated the Titans might even select a wide receiver with their first-round pick in order to give Ryan Tannehill another weapon and protect against Corey Davis’ potential departure after 2020. But I don’t see that happening. The Titans will bring back their top three receivers from last season, reducing the urgency to add a player at the position this year. In addition, this draft is deep at wide receiver, so the Titans could at least find someone to replace Tajae Sharpe in a later round.
I believe it’s likely the Titans will fill one of their key positions of need with the 29th pick of the first round.
Here are three prospects at each of those spots who might catch the eye of the Titans next Thursday night:
Cornerback
Depth chart: Malcolm Butler, Adoree’ Jackson, Kareem Orr, Chris Milton.
Reasoning: The Titans took some fairly noticeable steps backward last season when it came to pass coverage. Some of the drop-off can be attributed to the season-ending wrist injury to Butler, who played in only nine games. Still, that doesn’t seem to fully explain all of the struggles in 2019: The Titans allowed about 40 more yards per game through the air last season than in 2018; finished 18th in opponents’ quarterback rating, compared to eighth in 2018; finished 17th in opponent TD passes (25), compared to third in 2018 (21); and posted a Pro Football Focus team coverage grade of 68.8, compared to 90.3 in 2018. Keep in mind, those 2019 numbers occurred with Ryan in the lineup, and he’s not currently on the roster.
In addition, the Titans also lost another pair of corners — Tramaine Brock and LeShaun Sims — from last year’s roster, so there are plenty of holes to fill on the depth chart. Keep in mind, too, that Butler is 30 years old and will have a $14.4 million cap hit in 2021, so there’s no guarantee he’ll be around beyond this year. Those are all pretty good reasons for making cornerback the top priority next Thursday. The Titans have visited — in one way or another — with at least six cornerback prospects, according to Walterfootball.com.
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Possible prospects at No 29
Kristian Fulton (LSU) — The 6-foot, 197-pound Fulton earns high marks for his athleticism and his coverage ability. He knocked away 25 passes over the past two seasons at LSU, including 15 during the Tigers’ national championship season in 2019. Fulton ran a 4.46 40-yard dash, and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler notes that Fulton has “above average straight-line speed to stay stride for stride with fast wideouts,” an attribute that appeared to be lacking at times in the Titans’ secondary last season. Fulton doesn’t get the same reviews as Jeff Gladney (below) against the run, which may or may not be a concern for the Titans.
Jeff Gladney (TCU) — At 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds, Gladney isn’t the biggest prospect, but he’s consistently earned high marks for his physicality, aggressiveness and willingness to get his hands dirty. In other words, Gladney checks all the boxes for “loves ball,” a trait often mentioned by Robinson and coach Mike Vrabel. Gladney also ran a 4.48 40-yard dash and posted a 37.5-inch vertical jump, so he has the necessary NFL tools. Gladney picked off only five passes during his career at TCU, but he’s a sticky coverage guy — evidenced by the 15 passes he knocked away in both 2018 and 2019.
Jaylon Johnson (Utah) — Johnson didn’t get the same type of national exposure as corners such as Fulton, Alabama’s Trevon Diggs and Clemson’s A.J. Terrell, but he belongs in the same conversation. The 6-foot, 193-pound Johnson has good speed at 4.50 in the 40-yard dash and is considered quick-footed in movement skills as well. Analysts praise Johnson’s aggressiveness, his intelligence and his maturity. Brugler writes that Johnson “doesn’t mind throwing his body around” and also points out he has a “professional demeanor, and his coaches say he owns the appetite for work and improvement.”
Defensive Line
Depth chart: DaQuan Jones, Jeffery Simmons, Isaiah Mack, Jack Crawford, Matt Dickerson, Joey Ivie
Reasoning: There’s not much to figure out here. The Titans have a very large hole to fill in the starting defensive line after trading Casey, a five-time Pro Bowler, to Denver. Casey wasn’t coming off his best season, but he was still a force, having recorded at least five sacks in each of the past seven seasons. His quickness and strength also made him difficult to run against. Casey wasn’t the only regular to leave, as former second-round pick Austin Johnson, a solid rotational player, was signed by the Giants during free agency. That doesn’t leave much in the way of depth, though the Titans did bolster the unit with the signing of Jack Crawford. The Titans were 12th against the run last year and don’t want to take a step back in 2020. The team also needs to make sure it has at least some pass-rush threat from the interior of its line.
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Possible prospects at No. 29
Ross Blacklock (TCU) — Versatility, strength and quickness are three of the traits most often attributed to the 6-foot-3, 290-pound Blacklock. He didn’t produce huge sack numbers, posting three in each of his final two seasons, but that’s not the Titans’ primary concern at this position. Blacklock still earned the reputation as a relentless pass rusher, registering 24 hurries in 2019, per Pro Football Focus. PFF also gave Blacklock an 89.5 grade against the run last year, seventh-highest in the nation at his position. He was a team captain in 2019 and earns high marks for his maturity from analysts.
Marlon Davidson (Auburn) — The 6-foot-3, 303-pound Davidson has an impressive collection of skills, as he’s big and powerful enough to clog lanes on the inside but also managed to put up good numbers on the edge his senior season — racking up 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. Davidson has also played with a hand in the dirt or standing up, so he brings some versatility to the position. One question that’s been raised is whether Davidson, who played primarily in a 4-3 scheme in college, might be a bit of a “tweener” in the NFL — perhaps not quite speedy enough to win on the edge, maybe not a natural fit on the inside. He played only 51 percent of his team’s run-defense snaps last year, per NFL.com. But the bottom line is Davidson appears to be a load to handle, the kind of player who could make a nice complement to Jones and Simmons.
Jordan Elliott (Missouri) — If the Titans were leaning toward a defensive tackle who, like Casey, had the ability to pressure the quarterback regularly, the 6-foot-4, 302-pound Elliott might fit the bill. Pro Football Focus not only gave him the highest overall grade of any SEC defender (92.4) last year but also noted that his 18.7 percent pass-rush win rate led all interior defenders in the country. Like Blacklock, Elliott is a versatile enough player to move up and down the defensive line. Elliott, who spent his first season at Texas before transferring to Missouri, has at times been criticized for running hot and cold during a game. But there appears to be an awful lot of high-end potential here.
Offensive Tackle
Depth chart: Dennis Kelly, Taylor Lewan, Ty Sambrailo
Reasoning: The luxury of having bookend first-round offensive tackles on the offensive line — Lewan and Conklin — came to at least a temporary end when Conklin signed with Cleveland during free agency. Will Tennessee go with a tackle in the first round for the third time in the last seven seasons? It’s certainly not out of the question. The Titans pounded opponents by running on 48.8 percent of their snaps last season and will likely hammer away again with Derrick Henry in seasons to come. Moving people in the run game was Conklin’s strength, and that element of the Titans’ offense needs replacing. While it’s true Kelly has played well in part-time roles during his career, we don’t know for sure how the projected starter will handle full-time responsibilities. In addition, the team has to look to the future here, as Kelly is 30 years old.
Possible prospects at No. 29
Ezra Cleveland (Boise State) — The 6-foot-6, 311-pound Cleveland is considered an excellent athlete, a good technician with outstanding feet. His strength at present is pass protection — he surrendered only three sacks in 502 pass-blocking snaps last season. Pro Football Focus gave Cleveland a pass-block grade of 81.0 or better in each of his three years with the Broncos. He’s also nimble enough to get to the second level regularly when necessary as a run blocker. Almost every scouting report on Cleveland, however, points out that he needs to get much stronger in order to succeed in the NFL. If he can do that — and keep the high technical level to his game — he could be a nice find.
Austin Jackson (USC) — At 6-foot-5 and 322 pounds, Jackson certainly looks the part of a traditional talented tackle coming out of the USC program. He’s considered a good athlete as well. Jackson’s forté at present is his pass-blocking ability, as he’s got long arms, quick feet and a great deal of flexibility, per Brugler. Most scouts are in agreement, however, that Jackson has some work ahead of him, especially when it comes to adding strength and improving his run blocking. It wouldn’t hurt his cause to develop a bit more of a mean streak either. The Titans, however, would not need Jackson — or any rookie tackle — to play right away, allowing him time to make the transition from the collegiate ranks.
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Josh Jones (Houston) — If you’re a fan of Pro Football Focus’s grading, you’re definitely a fan of Jones. He posted an overall grade of 93.2 in 2019, the highest grade the analytics website has ever given to a Group of 5 offensive tackle. Jones also made huge strides in the run-blocking department, as his PFF grade in the run game jumped from 62.8 in 2018 to 92.7 in 2019. The 6-foot-5, 319-pounder surrendered only one sack last season and just five in his three years at Houston. Sure, the American Athletic Conference shouldn’t be confused with the SEC, but the big guy dominated the competition. He’ll likely need to work on strength and improving his footwork to be a standout in the NFL.
(Photo of Kristian Fulton: Wesley Hitt / Getty Images)