Dane Brugler pairs Tennessee Titans and Ezra Cleveland in Mock Draft
By Will Lomas
The first national draft analyst to connect Ezra Cleveland to the Tennessee Titans.
Based on where we are now, the Tennessee Titans have done a fantastic job setting up very real scenarios where we could see them let Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry and/or Jack Conklin all walk in free agency.
As staggering as that seems, we are now at the point where QB is in flux, no deal has been made with Henry and it seems like an almost certainty that Jack Conklin is going to be on another roster for the start of the 2020 season.
We have talked a lot about the QB position (rightly so) but we haven’t given the offensive tackle position quite as much shine as it deserves.
With the line between left tackle and right tackle blurring more and more every year, we are now at the point where most teams realize that your right and left tackles both needs to be able to pass block on an island or control the point of attack in the run game.
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So, if the Titans lose Conklin in free agency there is a really good chance that they end up spending a first round pick on a tackle in the draft.
Now, people have hope for Dennis Kelly and that is great, but we are about a half of a season removed from Kelly being asked to come in for a play against the Jaguars only to get immediately beaten by Yannick Ngakoue who strip sacked Ryan Tannehill.
Let’s not anoint him as the chosen one just yet and even if he was that would only be a short term solution given his age.
With a run on tackles likely to happen between picks 4-19, it seems like all of the “1st round lock” tackle will be gone. A few days ago I told you to keep an eye on Ezra Cleveland the athletic offensive tackle from Boise State, and it looks like Dane Brugler is also a fan of the fit.
In his latest mock draft Brugler mocked Cleveland to the Titans at 29 saying:
"If Jack Conklin signs elsewhere, the right tackle position becomes one of the biggest question marks on the roster. Cleveland crushed the combine, showing the athletic skill that matches the tape. The buzz in Indianapolis is he will receive first-round consideration from several teams."
With the Titans set up to run a lot of zone and play action (unless Tom Brady comes in and forces the team to revolve more around the short passing game) it makes sense to replace Conklin with someone who can get to the outside shoulder of the EDGE or get up to the linebacker on the backside.
Cleveland seems like a great fit on paper and is a long term starter with Boise State who has his fair share of accolades in the Mountain West. The Titans could do a lot worse than Cleveland in the first round and a move like this wouldn’t be exciting but it would be necessary and a good value.