3rd Round Picks
Jon Robinson’s first third-round pick was also his best.
Kevin Byard, AKA the Mayor of Murfreesboro, was relatively unknown leading up to the 2016 draft. Byard was a star Safety at MTSU, but many were surprised to see him taken in the third round. Byard has done nothing but prove Robinson right every single season. Byard has had 80+ tackles every season he’s been a starter, tacking on an All-Pro nod and a Pro Bowl selection in 2017. Byard also tied for league-lead in INT’s that year.
Byard has been arguably the most valuable player on the Titans for a few years now.
After Byard, in 2017, Robinson selected Taywan Taylor and Jonnu Smith. Taylor was a fixture in the Titans’ lineup for two seasons before being shipped to Cleveland before the start of the 2019 season.
Smith looks poised to be the teams’ starting Tight End, now that Delanie Walker is gone. Smith would’ve been my pick for best third-rounder, but nobody can be above Byard at this point.
The most recent third-round pick was Nate Davis, a guard out of Charlotte. Davis struggled mightily in the first half of the season, but he seemed to get into a groove as the season went on. Davis is expected to compete for one of the starting guard spots.
Best 3rd round pick: Kevin Byard