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Mel Kiper’s first mock draft has Titans taking EDGE in 1st round

By Michael Moraitis

STATE COLLEGE, PA - AUGUST 31: Yetur Gross-Matos #99 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates against the Idaho Vandals during the first half at Beaver Stadium on August 31, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - AUGUST 31: Yetur Gross-Matos #99 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates against the Idaho Vandals during the first half at Beaver Stadium on August 31, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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In his first mock draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper has the Tennessee Titans taking an EDGE in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

One of the biggest needs the Tennessee Titans will have to address this offseason will be bringing in an EDGE who can help take some pressure off of Harold Landry.

Landry had a great sophomore campaign in 2019, totaling nine sacks. The only issue was that the Titans couldn’t get consistent pressure from the other side, which led to Landry dealing with extra attention on a weekly basis.

The guy who was supposed to help him out, Cameron Wake, totaled just 2.5 sacks in nine games, and those sacks all came in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns.

While the numbers don’t exactly show it, Wake was still successful in creating pressure after that game, but an injury led to him being placed on IR, ending his season early. Wake will be 38 next season and was already playing limited snaps in 2019.

Other pass-rushers like Kamalei Correa and Derick Roberson did show some flashes, however Correa, who is an impending free agent, seems to be more of a solid rotational player than a starter, and Roberson’s sample size is too small to depend on.

In his first mock draft of 2020, ESPN’s Mel Kiper (subscription required) has the Titans addressing their need by taking Penn State EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

"Gross-Matos is a pick to help the competition on the other side of Harold Landry, who came into his own this season. Gross-Matos has long arms on his 6-foot-5 frame, and he is stellar against the run. He’s not a quick-twitch pass-rusher like Young or Chaisson, but he’s a solid player and hard worker. General manager Jon Robinson has an eye for talent, and it’s a huge offseason for Tennessee."

I’ve also seen the Penn State product going higher than No. 29 in other mock drafts, so there’s a chance he’s off the board before Tennessee picks. If he’s available, this is a pick general manager Jon Robinson has to make.

The Titans learned firsthand just how important being able to generate a pass-rush is, and that was never more apparent than in the AFC title game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Gross-Matos offers the potential to solve that problem right away. If he develops into a plus pass-rusher, he and Landry could wreak havoc for years to come.

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