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The Tennessee Titans Still Need Help at Cornerback

By Kyle Zwiazek

Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Adoree' Jackson (USC) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (right) as he is selected as the number 18 overall pick to the Tennessee Titans in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Adoree' Jackson (USC) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (right) as he is selected as the number 18 overall pick to the Tennessee Titans in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NFL Draft has come and gone. Most analysts seem to think the Titans had an excellent draft, but does this roster have enough depth at cornerback to contend in the AFC South?

Going into the offseason, one of the biggest question marks on the Tennessee Titans roster was who was going to be at cornerback next season. Jon Robinson addressed that situation by signing former New England Patriot Logan Ryan to complement starter Jason McCourty. Well, shortly after that signing McCourty was released (most likely to open up cap space). So that left Ryan as the only starting quality cornerback on the roster. That all changed when the Titans took Adoree’ Jackson in the first round on Thursday night. Now, no one can expect Jackson to just become a superstar cornerback the first time he steps on the field. There are going to be growing pains; that is just the reality of the NFL. Behind these two players though, the cornerback position still looks like a position of need.

Just as I was thinking about the depth at corner, I got an update on my phone that Paul Kuharsky of ESPN has a similar feeling. Let’s take a look at the other cornerbacks on the potential 53 man roster that our own Luke Worsham came up. 

Brice McCain

If you are happy with Brice McCain as the third cornerback on the roster, you did not watch much Titans football last year. McCain’s years as a successful cornerback in this league are behind him. Honestly, McCain could have been a cap casualty going into the season. He was already paid his guaranteed money and is owed $2 million this season (according to spotrac). Why spend that kind of money on a player that only picked up 30 tackles and 2 interceptions last year. Basically, at this point in his career, McCain is an okay 4th cornerback. For instance, if Robinson kept McCourty and drafted Jackson, this would be a very solid defensive backfield with McCain as the fourth option for Mike Mularkey.

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LeShaun Sims

Here is where things get really ugly. Sims was pretty much a liability as a starting cornerback last year. That really is the problem as Worsham pointed out. He should not have been the starter. As a fifth round pick in the 2016 NFL draft, Sims was thrust into the starting defense due to injury. Unfortunately, he was a complete liability and looked lost for most of the season. If he is getting significant playing time this year, the Titans will not be as dominant as we all hope.

Kalan Reed

Reed barely played last season. He had one tackle on the whole season, meaning he really should not be relied upon as a defensive back in the Titans roster. He could be a good player, but at the same time he probably will not be. The problem here is the depth at corner is really slim. Robinson needs to make a move to at least make sure that a veteran will be the third corner on this roster. This really smart writer once suggested bringing back Alterraun Verner to fill that void at nickel corner. It definitely would not hurt to add to the depth at the position.

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