Tennessee Titans should pick Jalen Thompson in the 2019 Supplemental NFL Draft

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Tennessee Titans defensive back, Amani Hooker.

(Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /

This is the big question for the Tennessee Titans.

When breaking down Jalen Thompson and discussing why the Tennessee Titans would be interested in him, it sounds a lot like I am talking about 2019 NFL Draft pick Amani Hooker.

That is intentional, because I think they are very similar prospects, just look at how they stack up next to each other on paper:

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Physical traits/athleticism

Amani Hooker: 5’11, 210 lb, 37 inch VJ, 123 inch Broad, 4.48 40-yard, 4.10 shuttle, 6.81 3-cone

Jalen Thompson: 5’10, 186 lb, 33.5 inch VJ, 124 inch Broad, 4.47 40-yard, 4.16 shuttle, 6.98 3-cone

Production

Amani Hooker: 15 PBU, 6 INT, 3.5 TFLs, 1 sack

Jalen Thompson: 17 PBU, 6 INT, 11.5 TFLs, 0 sacks

Those are incredibly similar players on paper and when you watch them you see a lot of the same things. Sure, Hooker is bigger and a little bit more physical, but Thompson may have a slight edge in how comfortable he looks one-on-one with receivers down the field.

Now the big question: If they already have Hooker, why would they draft another version of him?

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Simply put, insurance.

The Tennessee Titans are heading into an offseason where they can’t afford to bring everyone back and there is a real chance that Logan Ryan ends up on another team. As hard as that is to hear given how consistent he has been in Tennessee, I don’t know how the Titans will be able to afford to pay him $10 million per year after they brought in Malcolm Butler last year.

That is a big reason why they drafted Hooker in 2019, with the long term plan being to have Hooker take over the slot duties and to let Malcolm Butler and Adoree Jackson continue to play on the boundary.

But what if he gets hurt or if he doesn’t play very well? Who is the backup then?

I would guess that Dane Cruikshank would be that guy, but there is a reason that the Titans felt the need to ignore positions with more need in the 4th round and to go after Hooker. Maybe they feel that he is just better as a pure safety?

Letting Ryan walk may end up providing the Titans with enough money to keep whichever right tackle they prefer this offseason. So it is crucial to find someone that they feel can replace Ryan if they are comfortable with the other CBs playing 100% of the snaps in 2020.

Why put all of those expectations and all of that pressure on one player when you have another real option right in front of you? This isn’t blackjack, here you take the insurance.

What we have is basically the Spider-Man meme version of prospects in Hooker and Thompson. The question now becomes, are a 4th and (let’s say) 6th round pick worth $10 million in cap space?

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