Earlier in the week, ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL – go follow Paul. The man’s a legend. And, hell – while you’re at it, listen to him on The Midday 180 here in Nashville) wrote a piece discussing the possibility of the Tennessee Titans selecting an offensive lineman in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft.
…Lance Zierlein of NFL.com handed the Titans Temple defensive end Haason Reddick at No. 5 and Western Kentucky guard Forrest Lamp.
A guard?
Jon Robinson’s Titans are not reluctant to stock up at the positions that define them. They drafted Derrick Henry after trading for DeMarco Murray. They could draft O.J. Howard from Alabama or another high-ranking tight end to pair with aging Delanie Walker.
But another high pick on an offensive lineman would be extreme.
The Titans have a first-round left tackle in Taylor Lewan and a first-round right tackle in Jack Conklin. They invested last year in a free-agent center, Ben Jones. The left guard was Quinton Spain, undrafted in 2015, and the right guard was Josh Kline, a waiver claim from New England.
Personally, I’m more shocked by the mock drafting of Haason Reddick at No. 5 than I am Forrest Lamp at No. 18. In terms of pass rush, the Titans are in an okay spot – Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan provide for a formidable duo, and maybe Kevin Dodd decides to show up for 2017. That seems like a group that can hold down the fort while the Titans bring in some late-round draft picks or un-drafted free agents.
And, I should specify, it’s not a knock on Reddick or the need for a pass rusher – if this was mocked at 18, I’d be okay with it. But, at #5, I just don’t see it. You figure the Titans will be looking to get a ‘best player at his position’ type of player there – say a Jamal Adams, Marshon Lattimore, OJ Howard, or Mike Williams type.
At 18, though, the door is open for a number of possibilities. That’s a part of the luxury of having two first round picks. As Kuharsky points out, JRob has an affinity to load up with pieces that fit the Titans identity. Plus, to think everything is just peachy along the offensive line might be a bit short-sighted. Yes, this unit was a top-three offensive line in 2016. But, there are still questions at guard, and depth issues.
Spain has been a nice story, but injuries limited him last season. Chance Warmack and Brian Schwenke are gone. That leaves the Titans with a rotation of Spain, Kline, Dennis Kelly, and Sebastian Tretola at guard, and no help for Jones at center.
If Lamp, who is presumed to be the best guard in this year’s class, is still on the board at 18, why not?
Think about the Titans needs – cornerback, wide receiver, safety, tight end. These are all positions of strength in this year’s draft. There are about 13 solid number one corner options in this class. 13! Receiver is deep, and this year’s tight end class is loaded with athletes. You can get a starting safety in the third round as well, so why not wait?
If that’s the case, doesn’t it make sense to get an elite player at his position early when the talent may thin out later on the draft?
Kuharsky continues:
I’m OK with positional redundancy, to a point. It can provide valuable identity insurance.
But Tretola should offer the Titans an alternative to Kline, the weakest link last year. If they want an additional option, they have plenty of picks later.
The Titans don’t need a first-round guard in my eyes.
I think this man’s eyes are worth trusting, and I think a lot of the fan base probably lines up with what Kuharsky is positing here. I haven’t read one person clamoring on social media for an offensive guard, and believe me, if you’re tuned in to Titans Facebook, God knows what you will see. It’s like Mad Max on there sometimes – total anarchy. And, I STILL haven’t seen people talking about o-line possibilities.
I’m not saying it definitely should happen – I’m just imploring Titans fans to not be upset, shocked, or disappointed if/when it does happen.
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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