Just when Tennessee Titans fans think they have all the answers, general manager Jon Robinson changes the question. For months, the buzz around Nashville has been about trading picks and collecting more draft picks. Some said the Titans would take Jamal Adams or Marshon Lattimore at #5, and wait to get a receiver at #18, if they took one in the first round at all. Others said the Titans would draft Mike Williams #5, and take the best defensive player available at #18.
But, by the time the Titans were on the clock, they couldn’t work out a deal to move down. Chicago hampered that opportunity by trading up to #2 and selecting North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. They gave up an awful lot of draft picks, and after that, teams decided to wait on a quarterback. The next one didn’t go until Kansas City traded up to #10 to select Patrick Mahomes.
So, at #5, the Titans selected Corey Davis, wide receiver out of Western Michigan. I’ve been writing for months, I didn’t think the Titans were as tied to a receiver as everyone seemed to think. They could have waited until the third round before addressing for all I cared. It was about taking the best player available.
But, then again, I’ve also been saying that the Titans were in a unique position. The roster is solid, and the Titans didn’t have one specific need. There wasn’t a position that was going to cripple the team if they neglected it in the first round. So, yeah – they end up with my #1 wide receiver in this draft.
He was not the best player available at the time, but I will give credit Robinson credit. As Poppa Bear pointed out on our Facebook Live broadcast last night, Robinson read the draft, and knew the well would dry up by #18. So, if you covet a guy, you have to draft him when you get the chance. The Titans obviously coveted Davis.
Davis is polished and productive. He’s quicker than Mike Williams. Right away, he is the most talented receiver on the Titans roster. This offense is now complete – it has the missing piece that it’s lacked in several years. Some of had said Davis looks a lot like Terrell Owens.
Adoree Jackson at #18 was a shock. Plain and simple. The Titans needed to address the cornerback position at some point in the draft, but the best inside linebacker in football, Reuben Foster, was still available.
The Titans were repeatedly burned by tight ends last season because they didn’t have a guy who could cover these fluid tight ends. Avery Williamson’s coverage skills improved too late in 2016, but he’s more adept at stuffing the run. Wesley Woodyard is in the twilight of the career. Adding Foster would have given them a sideline-to-sideline, tone-setting presence the unit doesn’t currently have.
All of this isn’t a knock on Jackson, either. Chidobe Awuzie is a much more natural coverage corner, but Jackson does present a skill set that the Titans lack at the position. Most importantly, he’s versatile. He’s a playmaker. If he gets the ball in his hands, he is absolutely dangerous. The Titans defense needed a spark, and Jackson could very well be that player.
But, he’s small. He’s undersized for a cornerback in the NFL. When he went one-on-one with John Ross, he got his lunch ate. I’m willing to give him a pass there after sleeping on it – Ross did just run the fastest 40-yard dash in NFL Combine history. So, yeah – it’s complicated. Both of these picks are complicated – they could end up furthering Robinson’s genius. They could end up setting the team back. Like a lot of folks this morning, I’m not quite sure how to feel about it.
In short, I can at least see the reasoning behind selecting Davis. As far as Jackson goes, Robinson has earned the benefit of the doubt. We’ll wait and see, and hope Jackson proves me to be an idiot…not that I really need Jackson playing well to prove what a jackass I am. But, you get what I’m saying.
What Robinson has in mind is unclear, and that’s just the way he likes it. This regime prides itself on being unpredictable and they’ve done just that – both on and off the field. Regardless of how you feel about the picks, I think we can all agree on one thing: football season cannot get here quick enough.
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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