Tennessee Titans Should Pass on Wide Receiver in the First Round

Dec 2, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Western Michigan Broncos wide receiver Corey Davis (84) runs the ball for a td in the first half against the Ohio Bobcats at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 2, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Western Michigan Broncos wide receiver Corey Davis (84) runs the ball for a td in the first half against the Ohio Bobcats at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Though many believe the Titans should take a wide receiver in the first round, it might not be the best option in this draft class.

One of the Tennessee Titans’ biggest needs is arguably not having a dominant number one wide receiver on the roster. The wide receivers on the Titans roster are quality starters, but none are a true number one target. Almost every mock draft has the Titans, at either first round pick, taking one of the top wide receivers. This draft is full of quality depth at the wide receiver position in the later rounds.

I would say that the Titans go in another direction with their first round picks. The reasoning for this is because the top three projected wide receivers come with red flags.

As much as I love Corey Davis out of Western Michigan, there are two issues that stick out to me. First, he hasn’t gone through any testing as he was injured for the combine and his pro day. Which I can see scaring some teams away, and for good reason. The second is, we do not know if his play will translate against top competition.

The next wide receiver is Mike Williams, a guy who checks a lot of the boxes as a number one receiver.  He is a jump ball, win the contested throws type but lacking in deep speed. Throughout last year, the one major issue the Titans had was the lack of speed. This is why I think that the Titans will pass on him. I am just not confident that he is a guy that the Titans need.

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Last is John Ross, the man who broke the forty yard dash record at the combine. As I stated earlier, the Titans have a need for speed and this guy has it!  One area for concern is his prior injuries; Ross has suffered a torn ACL in his right knee and torn meniscus in his left knee, which resulted in him missing the 2015 season. He also had offseason shoulder surgery.

This has me concerned and I ask the question, would the Titans take a risk with a first round pick on a guy who has serious prior injuries? Matt Miller of Bleacher report has posted within his newest notebook, stating that he has talked to some teams who are concerned about Ross’ injuries. This could result in Ross potentially falling in the draft.

If the Titans did decide to take a wideout, I would love for them to select Davis. He has the most upside and is less risky than Ross or Williams. I think Will Lomas explained it best in his recent article, that everyone needs relax on Corey Davis’ potential fall discussion, myself included.

I will be taking an in-depth look at other options for the Titans in the first round within my next article.