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Tennessee Titans 11th best option in the 2019 NFL Draft: A.J. Brown

By Will Lomas

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 23: A.J. Brown #1 of the Mississippi Rebels scores a touchdown as Brandon Bryant #1 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs tries to defend during the second half of an NCAA football game at Davis Wade Stadium on November 23, 2017 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)
STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 23: A.J. Brown #1 of the Mississippi Rebels scores a touchdown as Brandon Bryant #1 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs tries to defend during the second half of an NCAA football game at Davis Wade Stadium on November 23, 2017 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images) /
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The Tennessee Titans should really take a look at the best receiver from Ole Miss.

Tennessee Titans GM Jon Robinson is a guy who knows exactly what he wants.

Whether you or I agree with it or not, he has things that he looks for in every position. That could mean anything from athletic testing, off the field things, production, height, etc.

One of the constants across the board at every position is that he likes guys with a lot of production.

The way I understand it is that past production doesn’t indicate future success, but a lack of production is a red flag.

That is why I think Jon Robinson’s favorite Ole Miss receiver won’t be D.K. Metcalf, it will be the 11th ranked player on this list.

Before we get to that, another reminder on the rules of this list and an overview of what it actually is:

-Nick Bosa, Quinnen Williams and Josh Allen will be impossible to land barring a trade into the top-3 or 4. They can’t be included in this list.

-Which of the players available specifically make the Tennessee Titans better?

-Don’t treat this as a big board, some positions won’t be brought up because there is no one talented enough that can come in and be an instant improvement over what the Titans already have.

-While long term help is important, consider what this player does for Tennessee short term and if they will help reduce the hit of free agent departures in the future.

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Which player is the 11th best option for the Tennessee Titans in the 1st round?

A.J. Brown WR, Ole Miss

If the Tennessee Titans hadn’t signed Adam Humphries in free agency this offseason, I truly believe they would have seen Brown as the WR1 on their board.

As I mentioned in the intro, Brown has top end production. Over the last two years he has combined for 2,500+ yards and 19 TDs, while maintaining 16.1 yards per catch.

He wasn’t a blazer at the combine, but that isn’t really where he wins on the field anyway.

The ideal role for Brown is as a slot receiver who dominates with physicality both as a blocker and as a receiver. While he has shown that he can play on the boundary, he has always looked much better inside.

If he is so good then why is he so far down the list? Well, for as good as he is it feels like there is a lot to clean up in his game.

His route running can be sloppy at times, rounding off routes and seemingly running inconsistent depth (though this could be by design).

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As a blocker he is really physical and I love that, but he is a guy who is going to get some penalties in the NFL for laying guys out. Honestly, that is a wash for me because I love receivers that don’t mind getting physical, but I am worried that some soft ref is going to cost the Titans a big gain because Brown stiff arms someone into the dirt or knocks a guys head off.

All of these things aren’t that big of an issue, but the reason he isn’t in the top-10 is because I think he would be a redundancy for this offense.

Just like my issues with T.J. Hockenson or Noah Fant, you don’t go out and spend a lot of money on a slot receiver just to spend a high pick on someone who also plays on the inside.

His lack of deep speed (4.49 40-yard) are concerning if you want to play him on the outside and ultimately I think you could end up in a situation where you are forcing a round peg into a square hole.

However, none of this is really a knock on Brown as a prospect. We are at the point on this list where guys I really like get pushed down because there is someone that can just help the team more in different ways.

This list is about which players have a chance to make the Tennessee Titans better now, and the less projection you have to do the better. He is one of my favorite receivers in this class, but I just can’t see him as a perfect fit for Jon Robinson.

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