Tennessee Titans First Round Options: Marshon Lattimore

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The 2017 NFL Draft takes place April 27-29 this year, and as it stands, the Tennessee Titans have two first round draft picks. General manager Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Mularkey currently hold the 5th overall selection and the 18th overall selection. Over the next few weeks, your boy Big Natural will be taking a look at some of the prospects rumored to be tied to or make sense for the Titans.

We took a look at just how bad the Titans secondary was, as a whole, in my report on former LSU Tiger, Jamal Adams. So, I’ll spare you all the gory details and just say, “it ain’t pretty.” The Titans have been in need of elite cornerback help for years. We’re talking all the way back to the last few years of Jeff Fisher. There hasn’t really be an elite corner in Tennessee since Cortland Finnegan petered out and was eventually forced into retirement.

Even with Finnegan, some might say he was never a truly great cover guy. Jason McCourty was fantastic early on in his career. He used to have a reputation as one of the most underrated cornerbacks in the NFL. Consistently playing his way into the top 10 at his position, but not getting the recognition for it. Now, McCourty can’t seem to stay healthy. He missed two games last season – a season after he missed 12 games. And, I hate to be the guy that starts this narrative, but he seems to have lost a step. #30 has long been one of my favorite Titans, so yeah – it pains me to say that.

Is he still a starting corner in the league? Of course – at this point, he’s still an above-average player. But, after eight years in the NFL, it’s time to stop relying on him being the number one guy. So, with that in mind, I’m officially making my opinion known:

A true shut-down cornerback is the Titans number one need in the draft.

So, naturally, you start looking through this year’s class of corners. It happens to be the deepest one in recent years. In fact, it’s so deep that the Titans could land three starters out of this bunch with the picks they have in hand. I’ve seen Marshon Lattimore, Quincy Wilson, and Marlon Humphrey all mocked to the Titans, but rumblings have surfaced that Robinson is locked in on Lattimore at #5. So, that’s the corner we’re going to start with.

The former Ohio State Buckeye is considered to be the best cornerback out of this year’s draft class. Lattimore possesses all of the physical tools to become a true lockdown corner in the NFL – strong footwork, agility, explosiveness, proper hand usage. Timing is another major strength of Lattimore’s, as he’s demonstrated patience in coverage and a knack for flipping his hips at the right time and matching receivers stride-for-stride.

Lattimore tallied just four interceptions and nine passes deflected in 2016, but don’t let that fool you. He was only thrown at 35 times in 2016 – or, on average, 2.6 times per game. Yeah, opposing quarterbacks respected him. For the most part, Lattimore had his guy locked down, though, he wasn’t exactly faced with top-notch receiving prospects either. That’s worth mentioning, too.

That said, I think teams are still looking at him as a player who has a wealth of talent and even more potential. But, here’s where it gets dicey when it comes to Lattimore joining the Titans: he doesn’t exactly fit the mold of the player Robinson seems to like.

It’s hard to base that off of Robinson’s one draft with the team. But, based on what we’ve seen throughout two free agency periods and the 2016 draft, Robinson likes guys that are reliable and that produce. Tajae Sharpe is a great example. He was known for his character and was arguably the most productive receiver in college football in 2015. So, the Titans passed on more heralded, talented guys, and waited to select Sharpe in the 5th round. It’s not just him though – Jack Conklin and Derrick Henry are tremendous examples of this philosophy as well.

Robinson values draft capital. Should Lattimore slide to #18, yeah – maybe they take him there. But, Robinson has done little to indicate that he would select a one-year wonder with the 5th overall pick. Something about that wheelin’ dealin’ sonofagun tells me that he may have a trick or two up his sleeve, so I’ll stick with my ‘never say never’ approach. It could happen, I just don’t think it will.

If Robinson wants a corner at #5, Humphrey may be the choice. But, that’s if the Titans even stay at #5…

Catch up on previous first round option reports:

Jamal Adams
Mike Williams

Stoney Keeley is the editor of the SoBros Network and covers the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley@WrestlingNewsCo

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