Tennessee Titans First Round Options: Jonathan Allen

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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.

Some would argue that Jonathan Allen is the best prospect in this year’s draft. A good bulk of Myles Garrett’s stats came against “weak” competition. Plus, there are mounting character concerns surrounding the former Texas A&M standout. Marshon Lattimore and Malik Hooker both have the ‘one-year wonder’ tag. And, no one in this quarterback class is blowing anyone away.

So, of course, it doesn’t seem likely that a defensive lineman who could arguably be the best player in the draft would fall to the Titans at five.

That’s the other issue, though – the defensive line is one of if not the strongest unit on the entire Titans team. Let’s say Allen does slide in the draft. Should the Titans be tempted to draft him? They’d have to take a good, long, hard look.

Only the Dallas Cowboys boasted a better run defense in the NFL in 2016. It was the unquestioned strength of the Titans defense. The run defense was so vastly improved from prior seasons, it seemed like a mirage. But, no – it was the result of putting together a solid defensive line. Jurrell Casey continues to be one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL. DaQuan Jones is an emerging prospect, and Karl Klug will be returning to the team. Robinson signed free agent nose tackle Sylvester Williams, who figures to start right away. It looks like this will be a formidable unit once again in 2017.

The Titans defense certainly didn’t get enough sacks, and as a whole, they didn’t really tackle that well either. The defensive line didn’t have as much of a say in that as the linebackers and defensive backs did. So, beefing up the defensive line could alleviate some of the pressure on the back end of the defense.

Allen has the makeup to be an elite defensive tackle. There’s not much he cant do. Known for his versatility, he can rush the passer exceptionally well for his position. His explosive strength and knack for breaking up plays makes offenses account for him on every snap. Allen is athletic and fast for his 6’3″ nearly 300 pounds. Like a lot of players out of Alabama, he’s a high-integrity, high-football-character guy.

Are you noticing a theme throughout these columns? These types of guys exemplify what Robinson and Mularkey are looking for in a player. Allen is no different.

He may known for a spear on Trevor Knight that looked like it was straight out of the WWE. Some scouts may say he’s too undersized to have an impact on the NFL. But, the guy’s a gamer. He’s as sure a prospect as you’ll find in this year’s draft. Wherever he goes, he will make his team better.

Defensive line may not be the biggest need, but it’s certainly not going to hurt them to add another elite player to the rotation. Allen is a guy who can come in and dominate right away. I happen to consider him the best player in this draft.

Catch up on previous first round option reports:

Jamal Adams
OJ Howard
Marshon Lattimore
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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