Tennessee Titans take Robert Nkemdiche in latest 2016 NFL mock draft
By Will Lomas
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In a recent 2016 NFL mock draft from our friends at NFL Mocks, made their selection for the Tennessee Titans. With the second pick in the draft, the Tennessee Titans selected: Robert Nkemdiche DL, Ole Miss.
Was this the right pick, well yes and no. Let’s break it down.
Overall value:
With Joey Bosa off the board going number one overall, a composite board of some of the names I trust on the draft say that Nkemdiche is technically the second overall player in this draft so from a pure value perspective this makes sense.
For my own scale, while it is still early, Vernon Hargreaves CB from Florida is my second overall player, edging out Nkemdiche by one point.
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There are a few other people with a similar score that should be considered for the Titans here too:
-Jalen Ramsey CB/S, Notre Dame (if they want to get younger at safety)
-Laremy Tunsil OT, Ole Miss (if they want to move Jeremiah Poutasi inside)
-Jared Goff QB, Cal (if they want a trade chip)
-Jaylon Smith (if they want a defensive leader)
Positional value and who would he replace:
This is a really hard thing to gauge because if you think of RN as an edge rusher in this draft, then that is the second most important position in football. Getting to the passer and stopping the run is a fundamental part of football, and no one can do that better than a great edge rusher.
However, if you think he is a 3-4 defensive linemen (a 5-tech), then his positional value plummets. We won’t know how athletic he is for his true weight (because he is not 300 lb. like ESPN keeps telling you) until the combine, so for now I have to assume that he will play on the line as a 5-tech or a DT.
For the Titans, does that make sense? You have all-star Jurrell Casey and up and coming defensive linemen DaQuan Jones getting the majority of the snaps at those positions now.
On the other hand, cornerback is probably the third most important position in today’s NFL. Being able to cover a wide receiver one-on-one is the cornerstone of a defense like Dick LeBeau’s where a great corner can allow an aggressive coach to send extra pressure.
As for who he will replace, Blidi Wreh-Wilson has been much maligned if they wanted to put Hargreaves on the outside. On the other hand if they wanted to play him in the slot, Coty Sensabaugh could be moved around and he would be an excellent depth player. Either way, a move like this would improve the overall depth at the position and it would give them the playmaker they so desperately need.
Overall:
If the Titans picked second overall in this draft, then you can’t complain about getting a great player who has the potential to make a big impact at the next level. While I like VH3 more, he isn’t a physical specimen (short) and has had some injuries (back) and that could be concerning for NFL teams. So, while RN was recently concussed, I think health may be the tie breaker here and could be what ultimately ends up making the Titans chose someone over VH3 if they have the same grade on another player.