The Titans approach to the NFL draft will be shaped by what the team thinks second-year pro, Amani Hooker.
The Tennessee Titans entered the offseason as a key player in free agency given the number of big names on the roster hitting the open market.
While Tennessee has re-signed key players (including Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry) the team has been relatively silent in tackling the remaining big holes on the roster.
With the 2020 NFL Draft right around the corner, it will be interesting what the team does filling its hole at cornerback. The team currently only has four corners on the roster with the team’s top corner, Logan Ryan, still unsigned and reserve corner LeShaun Sims on the Bengals.
A wild card in this whole scenario is second-year safety Amani Hooker.
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Hooker was drafted out of Iowa in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft to add depth behind the tandem of Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro. However, Tennessee’s GM Jon Robinson drafted him to do more than just play safety in a pinch.
The dynamic Hooker played spent plenty of time in the slot in college and Mike Vrabel might see a future for him at the position. While replacing the holes left behind by Ryan and Sims won’t be filled by Hooker exclusively, he gives the team an added option and depth to not swing in the first round for a corner.
The Titans have not brought in outside talent from free agency which means the team needs to utilize its picks for corners. If Mike Vrabel and company feel that Hooker is not a long term solution at the slot corner position, I expect the team to spend a couple of picks on defensive backs.
If Tennessee believes they can rely on Hooker as an interim slot corner, then I expect the team to only utilize a pick earlier in the draft to fill the spot.
Whatever the Titans do will say a lot about their belief in Hooker and his long-term role. We have seen other players do it in the past and it wouldn’t be out of the question here for the Titans to move that way.