Round 5, Pick 174: Kindle Vildor, Cornerback, Georgia Southern
Other Potential Picks: Nick Coe, EDGE, Auburn — McTelvin Agim, IDL, Arkansas
Now that Tennessee’s biggest needs on defense have been addressed through the first three rounds, it’s time to start taking chances on high-potential depth players, starting with Kindle Vildor– the winner of the draft’s ‘biggest sleeper’ and ‘coolest name of an incoming player’ awards.
Vildor began developing a reputation with Georgia Southern as sort of a ‘ball-hawking cornerback’ after a junior season in 2018 that saw him come away with four interceptions and 12 more passes defended. While his production in both those areas took a dip in his final season, Vildor still has the athletic skill to be a solid player at the next level.
His straight-line speed isn’t jaw-dropping, but his 4.44 40-yard dash did place him in the top 10 among cornerbacks at this year’s combine. But Vildor plays quick enough to keep with his receivers, numbers or not. And his athleticism has kept his 5’ 10” height from being a liability in coverage.
Vildor exceeds in man coverage and could be a valuable situational cornerback that the Titans will need on their roster going forward. If the team would prefer to focus on depth at other positions, Auburn’s Nick Coe and Arkansas’ McTelvin Agim could provide help at EDGE and on the interior defensive line, respectively.
Both Coe and Agim should still be on the board at this point, but the Titans need depth at cornerback before anything else. Their secondary suffered in spurts last year when Malcolm Butler and Adoree Jackson were out, showing the depth behind their starting three corners could use some work. Vildor could be a perfect pick here.