Does this tip the Titans hand?
Tennessee Titans GM Jon Robinson has always been a very honest and upfront person…when you can get an answer from him.
You see, the Titans are notoriously tight-lipped during the offseason and you might have noticed that more this year given that they need to hire an offensive and defensive coordinator, but rarely are they connected to anyone who might get the job.
So, when Jim Wyatt got Robinson on the record identifying three strong position groups in this class, you should take note.
Last year Robinson and the Titans front office started the 2020 offseason a step behind because they were busy at the end of January last year. The AFC Championship game was taking up most of their time and I couldn’t find anything from Robinson at the 2020 Senior Bowl (it is possible that he didn’t go personally).
However, if you go back to the 2019 Senior Bowl, you can see some good quotes from Robinson on the event. Let me cherry-pick some from the article linked above:
"“Much has been made about the defensive front seven…There is really good depth on the front seven of the defense. I think there’s good offensive linemen. It’s a heavy tight end crop. There’s some pretty good backs in the draft. “I think there’s some good value at receiver. There’s certainly some guys at the top, but I think maybe in the later rounds, too, we already have kind of our sights set on, if you will, or earmarked as guys who can help our football team.”"
Fast forward to the 2019 NFL Draft and Robinson added two players in the front seven (Jeffery Simmons and David Long), a starting offensive lineman (Nate Davis), and a wide receiver that you might have heard of named A.J. Brown.
While tight end never materialized and they waited a year to add running back depth, Robinson basically told fans (or anyone who was listening) what the Titans were looking at in the 2019 NFL Draft.
So you can see why it is important to listen to what Robinson says and to use that information to help narrow down your list of potential targets for the Tennessee Titans in the draft. Which position groups did he single out this year?
So what did he say this year?
This is a little bit tricky, but Jim Wyatt got a sit-down interview with Jon Robinson again this year and he came away with some quotes.
Near the end of the article, Wyatt brings up the EDGE position and this is the interaction that they have:
"He acknowledged edge rushers are on his radar. “It’s an important position,” Robinson said, “one that we’ll try to continue to bolster and find guys that can help the team.” But there’s a lot on Robinson’s radar, which right now is scanning Mobile. “There’s positions in this draft that I think are really strong,” Robinson said. “It’s a unique year at corner – I think there’s some really long corners who can help and can play at the NFL level. I think the tackle position is a deep one. I think there’s some really good receivers in this draft."
Let’s assume that Robinson knows he needs to find help at EDGE and that he thinks that is a top need.
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The other two positions he singles out for their quality are wide receiver and cornerback. Even though he mentions tackle, he talks about the depth and not the top-end strength.
We are deep in the “reading the tea leaves” territory here, but based on what we know from the past quote and what that quote says, it leads me to believe that the most likely options for the Titans picks inside the top-100 are:
1. EDGE
2. WR
3. CB (specifically a long boundary cornerback)
4. OT depth
Since we are here…let’s go down the rabbit hole and see what that might look like.
Down the mock draft rabbit hole
If those are the positions that Jon Robinson really believes in this year, then what could a mock draft look like for the Titans? Well, I used the TDN Mock Draft machine and Dane Brugler’s most recent top-100 ranking and I did a three-round mock draft.
(FWIW I picked TDN because they have the comp. picks already added)
The rules were: no trades, I have to come away with an EDGE in the first and then WR/long CB/OT in some order after that. Here are the results:
Round 1, pick 22: Azeez Ojulari EDGE, Georgia
Brugler positional ranking: EDGE1
-More than anything, I wish Ojulari went to any SEC school other than Georgia. Objectively Ojulari has gotten better every year and this season he led the SEC in sacks, forced fumbles, and was second in TFLs.
On the other hand, Kirby Smart’s first recruiting class became juniors before the 2019 NFL Draft. The top-100 picks that have been drafted from Georgia in the last two years are: Deandre Baker, Mecole Hardman, Andrew Thomas, Isaiah Wilson, and D’Andre Swift.
Other than the Chiefs taking Hardman, I think every other team wishes they had a do-over. So is Ojulari the rare exception or is he another bust…
Round 2, pick 54: Tyson Campbell CB, Georgia
Brugler positional ranking: CB4
-It is really tough to take a CB this high because I don’t think it is a need for the Titans unless they make it a need for themselves with a trade or a cut. But, if Robinson loves the class of corners then getting a 6’2 Tyson Campbell is going to be intriguing.
Again, I don’t love the culture at Georgia but going by Brugler’s rankings this is the best value on the board.
Round 3, pick 85: James Hudson OT, Cincinnati
Brugler positional ranking: OT8
-I LOVE this pick for the Titans, but I don’t think he will be there this late in the third. Even though I think that the offensive line is fine, Hudson has the movement skills and the personality to make him a favorite on the offensive line.
Maybe most intriguing is that he plays under Luke Fickell in Cincinnati. Fickell is Mike Vrabel’s best friend so if the Titans draft Hudson you have to know that he got a ringing endorsement from someone that they trust completely.
Round 3, pick 101: Amari Rodgers WR, Clemson
Brugler positional ranking: WR10
-How do you (potentially) replace a slot receiver from Clemson? How about with another slot receiver from Clemson?
Rodgers is a YAC receiver who lives up to the cliche of being built “like a running back at wide receiver” and he would immediately fit into the Adam Humphries shaped hole that could be left behind by cap cuts this offseason.
Fun fact, Amari Rodgers is from Knoxville and was a two-time Mr. Football winner in 4A ball, so he has already been to Nissan Stadium twice as an award winner.