After stockpiling picks in his first two drafts, Jon Robinson learned from some late-round mistakes and went quality over quantity.
When the Tennessee Titans hired Jon Robinson as the new GM, not many were quite sure what the Titans were getting. What we could deduce was that Robinson had an extensive scouting background, ranging from the early 2000s with the New England Patriots to the mid-2010s with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His track record in evaluating talent was enticing, and it made the NFL Draft much more interesting for Titans fans.
In Robinson’s first draft as Titans GM, he made the no-brainer decision of trading down from the first overall pick and compiling a bundle of picks from the Rams. A Titans team bereft of talent needed to inject itself with youthful playmakers at a variety of positions. Robinson ended up making 10 picks in the 2016 draft, nine of which have made and/or will continue to make an impact for the team.
With two first round picks in the 2017 draft, many expected Robinson to wheel and deal early in the draft. Instead, he saw a clear need for a top-tier wide receiver and cornerback, and he used both first round picks for one of each. He stuck to offense in the middle rounds before filling another need at coverage linebacker with Jayon Brown.
But unlike in 2016, the late rounds of the 2017 draft were not as successful as Robinson had hoped. After getting Aaron Wallace and Kalan Reed the previous year, Robinson’s sixth and seventh round picks in 2017 did not come close to making an impact in their rookie years. Corey Levin, Josh Carraway, Brad Seaton and Khalfani Muhammad did not contribute at all last season.
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What did Robinson learn from that? He realized that there isn’t much of a distinction between late-round picks and undrafted free agents. You have just as good of a chance of hitting on an undrafted guy than hitting on a sixth or seventh round pick. G Sebastian Tretola was a sixth round pick in 2016 and didn’t last a year. OT Brad Seaton and RB Khalfani Muhammad were seventh round picks in 2017 and are no longer on the team.
So, instead of trading back and gathering multiple late-round picks, he used just one sixth rounder this year and attacked RB and WR in undrafted free agency. He also used his seventh rounder this year in a pre-season trade for David King, who will be a rotational defensive lineman once again in 2018.
And instead of trading back, he traded up. What Robinson saw in this year’s draft was legitimate top-tier prospects at the Titans’ two biggest positions of need: inside linebacker and EDGE. With a roster that resembles an AFC powerhouse, Robinson recognized that mid- and late-round players in this draft would have a hard time making much of an impact in the near future; therefore, he went all-in on two players who will be cornerstone defensive pieces until their rookie contracts are up: Rashaan Evans and Harold Landry.
Robinson has had an extraordinary start to his general manager career. His best trait might be his flexibility and intelligence. He acknowledged some late-round mistakes and was willing to change his approach. By doing so, he has created a roster that has few, if any, holes.
In the process, he has put this franchise squarely in contention for a Lombardi Trophy.