Dear Tennessee Titans,
Draft Peter Konz.
With the #20 pick, you ask?
I ask, is he going to be available in the second round?
I know, our pass rush was awful last year, but at least we signed Kamerion Wimbley and Derrick Morgan finished strong. At cornerback our starters will be McCourty and Verner, both have shown they are more than capable to be NFL starters. We have to add some depth in both positions, no questions about it, but our center position is almost empty. We are stuck with an overpaid Eugene Amano who showed he can’t be a starter in this league and with unproven Velasco.
Center is such an important position in modern football. The center is not just another blocker; he is the one making the calls for the offensive line, he is their leader, their quarterback. They have to know how to handle the pressure and be able to make pre-snap reads and calls.
What are the consequences of a center making a wrong pre-snap read?
CJ caught in the backfield, no lanes for the running backs to run through, a quarterback pressure or even a sack
We all remember how frustrating it was to see how CJ was not even able to accelerate with the ball because he was already being tackled by a defender. And this is not only about CJ, Ringer wasn’t able to run either.
Let’s make something clear, Konz will not be the best player available at #20, he is the 32nd best player in my board, but he will give the Titans the best opportunity to win right away. Center is our biggest need, for me there is no question about it. We have a starter for every position except for center.
There is a small possibility that Konz will be available for the Titans in the second round. The Titans have interest in drafting Konz, but the front office may want to wait to see if he drops to them in the second round.
Best case scenario, the Titans drafting Konz in the second round; worst case scenario, the Titans playing the Patriots week 1 with Amano starting at center.
At 6-5 and 314 pounds, Konz is a physical run blocker with a lot of strength at the point of attack. He is athletic and mobile for a center his size and is always looking to finish his blocks with toughness. Konz has strong hands to sustain blocks for enough time in the passing game. He is considered a smart player with strong football character. Naturally bigger than Amano who is 6-3 and 300 pounds, Konz won’t get pushed back in the backfield too often in running plays.
I’ve been watching a lot of tape on Konz and he looks better and better each year. He may need some coaching because he tends to get high sometimes in his blocks, but he will be at the top of his game in a season or two. He will have to work a lot more in the weight room since he had only 18 reps in the bench press. He’s still an instant upgrade to Amano at the Center position.
I just see the center position as a key one; Hutchinson will help the o-line, no question, but if we go again with Amano and LeRoy Harris, don’t expect anything a lot different from what you saw from our running game last season.
We need him, no doubt about it, but is he good enough to be drafted at #20?
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