Rashad Weaver is the latest in a long line of Tennessee Titans Day 3 gems

The hot and cold nature of the Tennessee Titans first-round draft picks has been well-documented at this point.

Caleb Farley’s major injuries and Isaiah Wilson’s major red flags have led to two first-round picks that have yielded almost nothing for the Tennessee Titans. Meanwhile, Jeffery Simmons looks like he is on his way toward a career with All-Pro honors and Jack Conklin already has two All-Pros on his resume.

While you have to consider Adoree Jackson, Corey Davis, and Rashaan Evans, hits since they started for the Tennessee Titans for years, none of them really made it to that Pro Bowl level.

Overall the Tennessee Titans have done much more good than bad in the first round and they have been incredible on Day 2 of the NFL Draft. However, where this front office really separates itself is in its ability to find really good players on Day 3.

In the past, players like Jayon Brown, Amani Hooker, and David Long Jr. have all made impacts. This year’s rookie class also seems teeming with Day 3 talent with the likes of Chig Okonkwo, Kyle Philips, and Hassan Haskins all carving out roles very early in their career.

One player that has already transcended to “gem” status is second-year EDGE, Rashad Weaver.

How good is the young Tennessee Titans’ EDGE

Over the last two draft classes, there were 33 EDGEs taken in the first three rounds, but Rashad Weaver was not one of those EDGEs.

The 4th round pick from Pitt was a preseason star in 2021, but he was unfortunately injured after only playing about a dozen snaps in the regular season.

After recovering from that injury, Weaver wasted no time getting right back into preseason standout form again. After Harold Landry’s devastating ACL injury just days before the season opener, Weaver was elevated from developing EDGE to a guy who had to be NFL-ready immediately.

Luckily for the Tennessee Titans, Weaver did not disappoint. Among his peers, there are only a handful of EDGEs who have been as effective as Weaver this season.

Not only is Weaver pressuring the quarterback at a high rate, but he is actually finishing the job as well.

Among first- and second-year players, here is where Weaver ranks in sacks:

1. Micah Parsons: 8 sacks in 240 pass-rush snaps

T-2. Aidan Hutchinson: 5.5 sacks in 298 pass-rush snaps

T-2. Rashad Weaver: 5.5 sacks in 246 pass-rush snaps

Any time you are a young pass rusher on the same list as Micah Parsons (probably the DPOY) and Aidan Hutchinson (probably the DROY), you are doing something right.

I know people hate doing it because it goes contrary to how they view the draft, but on Day 3 Tennessee Titans GM Jon Robinson drafted an EDGE who is outperforming 31 of the 33 pass rushers drafted on Day 1 and Day 2 of the past two drafts.

Who cares if he takes a swing and misses in the first round?

Would it be great to hit on every 1st round pick? Absolutely, but no GM in the NFL does that. If you can find these great steals later in the draft, then by all means take your swings in the first round.

Right now a 1st round pick for Jon Robinson has a 50% chance of being a hit (including Treylon Burks), a 25% chance of being a bust, and a 25% chance of being an All-Pro.

Every GM in the NFL would take that hit rate, especially if they could back it up with home runs on Day 2 and borderline Pro-Bowl caliber players on Day 3 each year. Rashad Weaver is just the latest example of a Day 3 gem making up for a first-round miss and that is a good thing.