19 at 19: Players the Tennessee Titans should consider in the 2019 NFL Draft
By Will Lomas
Tight End: 2
Let me be clear here, the Tennessee Titans don’t need a tight end. The reason they should consider drafting one is if by the 19th pick all of the EDGE, IOL, DL, and WRs listed here are off the board.
Even then I would tell them to trade down for someone who really wants one of these two players.
I think we all know who they are, the Iowa tandem of T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant.
They are both complete TEs, but in a nutshell the differences are that Hockenson is a better blocker and Fant is more dangerous as a receiver.
If the Titans are forced into this situation then it is going to be a “B-” type pick from me because I think they are basically picking a guy that won’t make an impact until at least 2020. And before you send me a tweet about how these two are game changing prospects, I would say this:
Fant is really athletic but was consistently outshined in every facet by Hockenson in college. However, Hockenson isn’t perfect if you go back and watch the last college game he played against Mississippi State you will see a guy struggling for much of the game including a bad whiff on a pulling block against Montez Sweat that got his QB sacked.
These two are really good and I hate that I have to keep saying this over and over, but while they are deserving of a look and would be one of the 19 best options for the Titans, talent isn’t the issue.
The problem is neither player would be TE1 for the Titans next year, nor would they get the bulk of the practice reps in the offense. Who do you think Marcus Mariota is going to throw it to in critical spots in a game, Delanie Walker or a rookie TE who has been getting sub package reps since training camp?