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.
For the Titans, inside linebacker is a need that no one seems to be talking about. The defensive line led the 2nd-best run defense in the NFL last year. But, if teams decided to send a tight end down field, said tight end would feast on the Titans defense. They don’t have a guy who can cover the NFL tight end of today.
Avery Williamson is certainly a player this regime thinks it can build around, and they aren’t wrong. But, Williamson struggled in coverage early on in 2016. He improved over the course of the season, and by season’s end, seemed to be trending towards the player the Titans envision him being. He’s not going to do it alone – not in a 3-4 defense.
Next to Williamson is Wesley Woodyard. The former Denver Bronco has been serviceable in his career as a Titan, but the writing is on the wall. He’s in the twilight of his career. Outside of those two, the Titans have Nate Palmer and free agent pick up Daren Bates, who both figure to be significant contributors on special teams.
Yeah, the cupboard’s not bare, but it’s pretty thin. In my opinion, it’s as thin as the field at cornerback.
So, at #5 or at #18, should the Titans be looking to pick up the best inside linebacker in this draft?
Forget his position, Foster could end up being the best defensive player out of this draft. Period. The former Crimson Tide linebacker is known as a tone-setter. He’s fast, strong, agile, and can hit like a boulder rolling down a mountain. Factor in his accolades and he has an unparalleled pedigree.
Foster was a unanimous first-team All-American. He won the Butkus Award (best linebacker), and was named MVP of the SEC Championship game. If the SEC awarded a Season MVP award, Foster probably would (or at least should) have won it.
He can generate pressure, is a sure tackler, but most importantly, he has tremendous range. If a player is on the field, he is within range of Foster. No one is safe.
Of course, his willingness to take on blockers could end up getting him hurt in the NFL. But, that’s a minor critique, and the potential negative qualities of Foster are few and far between.
He is the exact type of inside linebacker that the Titans need on defense.
But, do they actually pull the trigger? Many assume it would take the #5 pick to take him, and he might not even last that long if the San Francisco 49ers want to get back to the days of fielding fierce linebackers. Then again, look at what happened to his former teammate, Reggie Ragland, last year. Considered by many to be one of the five best defensive prospects in the draft, he slid to the 2nd round (41st overall), where he was selected by the Buffalo Bills. Benardrick McKinney slid into the second round in 2015 as well.
Am I missing something? Is inside linebacker no longer important on the football field? If that trend continues, which, I think it will, someone is going to end up with a steal in Foster. He is a legitimate option for the Titans.
Catch up on previous first round option reports:
Jamal Adams
Jonathan Allen
Corey Davis
OJ Howard
Marshon Lattimore
Mike Williams
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. A strong advocate of GSD (get shit done) and #BeBetter, he’s down to talk Tennessee Titans and Alabama Crimson Tide football over a beer any day. Check him out covering the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
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