A look at Josh Norris’s Tennessee Titans breakdown.
There aren’t a lot of national media people I pay attention to when it comes to the Tennessee Titans.
Most of them can’t actually be bothered to watch a Titans game, look at the depth chart, look at Jon Robinson’s draft history, or ask anyone at all what Tennessee needs.
However, that isn’t the case with Josh Norris of Rotoworld.
Norris has been doing team-by-team breakdowns of their big needs and including mini mock drafts over at Rotoworld. Today he published his article on the Titans.
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Needs
He ended up ranking the needs in this order:
1. EDGE (nailed it)
2. OL (uh oh)
3. LB (Alright back on track)
The only big problem I have is that if I could find a futures prop on Bovada for it, I would put money on the Titans passing on OL until at least Day 3 of the 2018 NFL Draft, if at all.
This was his quote on the offensive line:
“RT Jack Conklin tore his ACL in the playoffs and may not be ready by Week 1. LG Quinton Spain and LT Taylor Lewan are entering contract years. Spain is on the hot seat as a questionable fit for Tennessee’s new zone-blocking scheme.”
Breaking that down bit by bit, Jack Conklin may not be back by Week 1, but I wouldn’t count it out:
#Titans RT Jack Conklin (torn ACL) was spotted at tonight’s uniform unveiling. No crutches. Little bit of a limp.
— Jason Wolf🐺🌵 (@JasonWolf) April 5, 2018
If Conklin is out walking in a heavy crowd without crutches and just a little limp that is really good news for the Titans. It means at the very least that he hasn’t had any setbacks. Will he be ready by Week 1? I don’t know, but it looks like he isn’t going to be gone an extended amount of time.
On top of that, the Titans have Dennis Kelly and Kevin Pamphile on the roster, both of which can probably be average substitutes.
FanSided
Taylor Lewan is going to be a part of the Tennessee Titans organization for a long time. He is a star in Nashville and his personality has been a big part of the Titans new identity. He is a great left tackle and in a league devoid of offensive line talent, the Titans aren’t going to let him go.
Quinton Spain is a really good athlete, just ask Jim Cobern if you don’t believe me. He meets all the thresholds for a multiple All Pro guard, which is a tough thing to do.
Even if the Titans decide to go a different direction, good ole Mike Miracles had a great tweet about the competition that the Titans seem content with at that position:
Contract info on Su’a-Filo. Titans have $4.18M total invested in Spain, Pamphile and Su’a-Filo for 2018. All on one year deals. May the best man win. #GuardThunderdome2018 https://t.co/bSyNsthBo9
— Mike Herndon (@MikeHerndonNFL) April 5, 2018
And that doesn’t even mention another athletic lineman on the Titans roster: Corey Levin.
So I don’t really think there is a chance that they take an OL with their top 2 picks. I would think that EDGE/LB/S/DL/WR are all much more likely than that. I would put OL next to QB or TE on the Titans list of positions to upgrade.
Mock Draft
I’ll let you go read the article to see more descriptions on the picks, but here are the actual players he ended up selecting for the Titans.
Round 1 (25): EDGE Sam Hubbard, Ohio State
Round 2 (57): DL/EDGE Rasheem Green, USC
Round 3 (89): G Alex Cappa, Humboldt State
Round 4 (125): LB Oren Burks, Vanderbilt
Round 5 (162): WR Javon Wims, Georgia
Round 6 (199): C Sean Welsh, Iowa
I think Hubbard is sort worst option that makes the most sense. He is an effort guy whose athleticism on paper doesn’t translate to production on the field despite being on a defense that prevented him from being avoided.
I would take half a dozed EDGEs and a few LBs before him, though if it is him or an IOL/TE/RB then give me Hubbard.
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Green is a big upside guy, but I would rather use that pick on a linebacker or true EDGE depending on what was drafted in the first round.
Not a fan of drafting an OL at all in this class so Cappa and Welsh are guys I wouldn’t target at all.
Burks is interesting, but if he is the guy you bring in to compete for a starting job you are probably going to still end up with Will Compton and Wesley Woodyard as the starters.
Wims is a poor man’s Mike Williams in terms of how you will probably want to use him, but Mike Williams is already kind of the poorest man’s Mike Evans so I don’t know exactly what you would get out of him in year one. He could be worth a look as a developmental guy though.
So all in all the positions make sense, but drafting DL help in the 2nd and a IOL in the 3rd essentially neuter the Titans chances to get impact players at positions of need in favor of adding depth.
My feeling is, unless it is a player you believe will be outstanding or unless you have no real holes, you can’t spend Day 1/2 picks on guys who you believe have no chance of starting for you in year one.
Still, the needs were dead on and while I didn’t like the picks, I could understand everything except the offensive linemen taking and that article is really worth you time so go check it out.