Here’s as bold a statement as can be made. Normally, you won’t hear this about an undrafted rookie that entered Tennessee Titans training camp as the last man on the depth chart at his position, but if Mekhi Sargent doesn’t make Tennessee’s 53-man roster, there needs to be some sort of formal investigation.
Though it seems ridiculous to make any statement that suggests the Titans should give Derrick Henry the ball less often, the NFL’s best running back has carried the ball 782 times over the past two NFL seasons if you include what he’s done in the playoffs.
Memories of Eddie George and Chris Johnson always force a smile across one’s face, but their careers can also serve as cautionary tales. The running back position is the NFL’s most punishing, and if there’s any way to capitalize on Derrick Henry’s brilliance and keep him around longer, those options must be explored.
Tennessee’s got a franchise under their noses in the form of Mekhi Sargent. All they need do is take a whiff.
Mekhi Sargent can be the lightning to Derrick Henry’s thunder.
If three preseason games of Titans football didn’t teach us anything else, it should have been this. Finding help for Derrick Henry has been a topic of conversation around Nashville for a while, and we may now have an answer to the questions that have been asked.
You have to love what Jeremy McNichols did in the wake of injuries during the 2020 season. Darrynton Evans is talented, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Brian Hill, once seen as a favorite to earn a roster spot, hasn’t been able to gain any consistent traction.
Mekhi Sargent has been one of the nice surprises of this Titans training camp. He rarely goes down on first contact. He functions well as a receiver. It’s Sargent, not Evans, who looks like the best option to be the backup and complementary piece to Henry, and how great of an addition would that be?
Can you imagine how dominant the Titans would be if they had a well-rested and totally healthy version of Henry in January? Adding Mekhi Sargent to a potential committee of Titans running backs that includes Henry, Evans, and Khari Blasingame could be exactly what the doctor ordered. Again, if the Titans leave the undrafted rookie off of the 53-man roster, serious questions need to be asked about what this team is doing.