The Tennessee Titans’ 2019 draft class is off to a rocky start.
The Tennessee Titans haven’t had much luck with their 2019 NFL Draft class, as multiple rookies have come down with injuries.
Tennessee’s first-round pick, defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, was taken No. 19 overall with the team already knowing he might not play in 2019. Simmons suffered a torn ACL in February and as it stands now, the best-case scenario seems to be a December return for him.
Simmons was thought by many to be a top-10 talent in the draft, so general manager Jon Robinson took a swing to try and get some great value at that spot in the first round. Whether that swing turns into a hit or miss remains to be seen.
On Saturday, the Titans placed outside linebacker and Georgia product D’Andre Walker on injured reserve. Walker, who was the Titans’ fifth-round pick, will miss the entire 2019 season, as players placed in IR before 53-man roster cuts are not eligible to return during the season, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online.
The IR rule: A player must be on the 53-man roster to start Week 1 to be eligible for the IR designation to return. Anyone placed on IR before roster cuts to 53 not eligible.@Titans
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) August 10, 2019
Before Walker, wide receiver and second-round pick, A.J. Brown, slipped during the first practice of training camp and has yet to return to the field. Brown did recently say that he is close to a return, so it appears the Ole Miss product will get back to practice soon. (Update: Brown returned to limited practice on Sunday.)
One of the biggest mysteries of late has been right guard and third-round pick, Nate Davis. The Charlotte product left practice early on August 1st and hasn’t returned since, and he did not participate in the team’s first preseason game on Thursday.
We’ve yet to hear a word on Davis’ status, and the longer he’s out without a status update, the more we’ll get concerned. Davis is also in competition for the starting gig at right guard with Kevin Pamphile, and missed time could lead to the veteran getting the nod over the rookie.
In all, the Titans have four of their six 2019 picks on the shelf, with only sixth-round pick, linebacker David Long, and fourth-round pick, defensive back Amani Hooker, healthy.
There’s no question that Robinson has seemingly made some solid picks in his last draft, however that means nothing if the Titans’ rookies can’t stay on the field. Hopefully things turn around quickly and the Titans’ youngsters can not only stay healthy, but contribute in a big way in 2019.