Tennessee Titans 5th best option in the 2019 NFL Draft: Jonah Williams

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Brian Robinson Jr. #24 of the Alabama Crimson Tide walks out of the tunnel during warm ups with Jonah Williams #73 during warm ups prior to the game against the Georgia Bulldogs in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Brian Robinson Jr. #24 of the Alabama Crimson Tide walks out of the tunnel during warm ups with Jonah Williams #73 during warm ups prior to the game against the Georgia Bulldogs in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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My most recent mock draft selection is the 5th best option for the Tennessee Titans.

The Tennessee Titans need someone to fill the open right guard, but they may have to get a little creative to do it.

It isn’t often that a blue chip prospect falls out of the top-18 in the NFL Draft, but it does happen. However, as we get into this player you will see why I think he could be available and why even if he is available there are questions that could force the Titans to pass on him.

Let’s get into my 5th player on this list, but first, a quick reminder on what this list really is and who is eligible:

-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.

-This is a list specifically on which of the players available 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 5th best option for the Tennessee Titans in the 1st round?

Jonah Williams OL, Alabama

There are few people in the draft process that I respect more than Dane Brugler.

He recently put out his draft guide (The Beast) and it is something that I will look at over the next three or four years because the depth and detail on everything from a player’s testing numbers, high school background, weakness, and strengths.

So while I have my own grade on Jonah Williams (top-15 and OT3), when I see that Brugler has him rated as a top-5 prospect it makes me rethink my process and go back and watch.

I am comfortable in my grade on him, but he was #5 on this list two weeks ago when I started it. That is because I think he is nearly a perfect fit for this offense.

Williams is the ultimate worker both on and off the field. On the field, he has been a starting tackle for Alabama for 44 straight games since his first game on campus. He has been solid since day one and great for quite some time.

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In pass protection he is technically refined and as a run blocker he looks like a 10-year NFL vet, “feeling” where he needs to go on zone plays.

While he is a natural, football isn’t something that he can just pick up and drop off when practice starts and ends. No, off the field he is one of the hardest workers I have ever heard about.

The best example you can cite is that before he goes against a pass rusher, he looks at all of the pass rush moves that player uses and compiles data on those moves. This ranges from whether it is an outside or inside move to the actual move that the player uses.

Then he takes that data and turns it into charts, like a web chart. That way he can visualize how frequently a player uses move “X” and that his favorite counter is “Y”.

Supposedly he has a notebook full of this information going all the way back to his first game at Alabama. Coaches are going to foam at the mouth when they hear that and they are going to fall in love with him and take him high.

However, there are some small flaws in his game. Does he have slightly shorter arms than you want in an OT? Yes, fine. Is he an above average athlete? No, he is just about average though you would never tell it by his performance on the field.

So if he fills a major need, is a blue chip player and has all of the off the field positives you could want then what is my problem with him?

Well, honestly it all comes down to the fact that Jon Robinson doesn’t like projects.

While I believe he could make a move inside, I don’t know how much Robinson wants to “gamble” on that conversion being quick and painless when they are going to ask him to play from day 1.

I think if you gave Jon Robinson truth serum, he would tell you that he would rather draft a player with slightly less upside that has accumulated a lot of starts at right guard over a player with more upside but less experience at the position he is being drafted for.

This list isn’t only about that, but the more I think about it the more I think this would be an “A-” pick rather than an “A” or an “A+” pick because the first few games of the season are going to be so crucial this year.

What if he has a learning curve like Rashaan Evans did last year? Evans looked like a star to finish the season, but it was dark before the dawn there. If that bumpy road leads to him allowing Marcus Mariota to get hit more early in the season chances are that he could end up banged up.

If they are going to add an interior offensive lineman I think they need someone who will have a smooth transition and the less adaptation they have to do at that position, the better.

Having said that, I would bet that Williams will be good no matter where you put him on the OL and while he may not be a perfect player from day one I think the Tennessee Titans would look back and be really happy they were able to land him in the draft.