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Tennessee Titans 2019 NFL Draft UDFA class highlights

By Will Lomas

AMES, IA - NOVEMBER 24: Running back Alex Barnes #34 of the Kansas State Wildcats breaks away from linebacker Willie Harvey #2 of the Iowa State Cyclones as he drives the ball to the end zone for a touchdown in the first half of play at Jack Trice Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Ames, Iowa. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA - NOVEMBER 24: Running back Alex Barnes #34 of the Kansas State Wildcats breaks away from linebacker Willie Harvey #2 of the Iowa State Cyclones as he drives the ball to the end zone for a touchdown in the first half of play at Jack Trice Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Ames, Iowa. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /
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How did the Tennessee Titans do in (undrafted) free agency?

With the 2019 NFL Draft come and gone, most Tennessee Titans fans are rewatching highlights and diving into full games to see exactly what they got in their six picks.

But not you, you are here getting smarter about the land rush that is the UDFA market.

This isn’t the pretty side of the draft, it is a free for all where promises are made and money is thrown around to try to outbid other teams while not committing too much to a player that you haven’t evaluated correctly.

Most of a roster is comprised of Day 3 picks and UDFAs, but there really isn’t a big difference in the hit rate between players taken in the 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th and UDFAs.

So while there isn’t a big fanfare, the 20 or so UDFAs who will be added to the Titans roster have just a slightly worse chance to make the team than the value picks we were talking about yesterday.

With that in mind, what are the players with the best chance to stick so far in this UDFA class?

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Derick Roberson EDGE, Sam Houston State (6th round value)

One of the most under the radar players in this draft, Roberson is an EDGE who reportedly plays with a lot of effort and energy. When you are 6’3 and 250 lb. with 15 sacks in a season, that sort of hustle will get you noticed quickly.

You may see that I said reportedly, well honestly outside of some highlights I really haven’t been able to track down enough film of him to make an evaluation. But he was a well regarded recruit coming out of high school with praised for his hand use and his athleticism, so that is enough for me to be really interested with using a late pick on him.

So as you can imagine, when the Titans took him as an UDFA it stuck out to me as a solid move. Just food for thought, D’Andre Walker and Roberson are both nearly 6’3, 250 lb. I’m sure that the Titans look at those two in very similar roles so having two of those guys on special teams and as EDGE backups would be nice.

Hamp Cheevers CB, Boston College (6th round value)

I really didn’t see a scenario where a UDFA CB could make the roster this year, but this addition has me intrigued. First of all the Boston College tag strikes me as interesting because of all the connections between the Titans and BC.

If he is in Tennessee it is because he was a good guy off the field as well as a good player on the field.

The reason why I think that he could make the team is that outside of the Titans top three CBs, the Titans cornerbacks are really all better on the outside than inside. If Tennessee wants a guy more suited for slot cornerback then Cheevers might have a chance.

Alex Barnes RB, Kansas State (6th round value)

A freak athlete, despite a nearly 6’1 frame and weighing 226 lb. Barnes was average or above in every athletic test at the combine except the 60-yard shuttle. But he isn’t just good at most things, he was 90th percentile or above in the broad jump, vert jump and bench press with his 20-yard shuttle being close to that mark in the 86th percentile.

He is a freak athlete, but he is also very productive. In three years playing at Kansas State he has averaged at least 5.3 yards per carry and over his last two years he combined for nearly 2,200 yards rushing.

A balanced player, he can also catch passes out of the backfield and has the toughness and strength to block or play special teams.

With Derrick Henry‘s potentially hitting free agency after this year, Barnes is the sort of player that could earn a spot as a special teams player and then become a factor in the offense down the stretch in 2019 or 2020.

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The rest of the list

According to Dan Cotton, this is the Titans UDFA class so far outside of those notables:

-Amani Bledsoe EDGE, Oklahoma (7th)

-Anthony Ratliff-Williams WR, North Carolina

-A.T. Hall OT, Stanford

-Braxton Hoyett DT, Mississippi State

-Quart’e Sapp LB, Tennessee

-Isaiah Mack DT, UT-Chat

-Taj-Amir Torres WR, Boston College

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