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.
Talk about a prospect coming out of nowhere. I hadn’t watched much of Chidobe Awuzie before draft season. Just for context, I picked up Lindy’s Sports draft guide back in February. I just flipped through it and, sure enough, the former Colorado Buffalo is ranked #13. Now, mock drafters everywhere have Awuzie going in the first round, potentially as early as #18 to the Titans.
You flip on the tape, and can immediately tell this kid is the type of player Robinson and Mularkey are looking for. He can play anywhere on the field – lining up opposite number one receivers or lining up in the slot. The former Buff can also blitz effectively, which is a staple of the Dick LeBeau defense.
Awuzie started seven games as a freshman, and with the exception of missing time with a lacerated kidney, had a full, productive college career. He was voted second-team All-Pac-12 for two consecutive seasons.
Versatility and productivity are two of the more prominent traits Robinson has shown us he values. As far as his technical skills go, Awuzie can be described as smooth, fluid, and polished. He’s experienced and intelligent enough to adapt quickly and to be prepared for any route that’s coming at him.
The odd thing is he doesn’t have a lot of interceptions. Now, a couple of things – first, you don’t necessarily need to record a lot of interceptions to be an effective cornerback. Darrelle Revis is arguably a Hall of Fame cornerback and didn’t have a lot of interceptions. Second, college careers are short – players are lucky to get four full seasons. But, Awuzie only started seven games as a freshman and missed time his sophomore year. You like to see interceptions, sure, but there’s a small window to stack these up in college. This isn’t an indication that Awuzie won’t intercept passes in the NFL.
He’s also not very aggressive and needs to improve his tackling ability. Overall, Awuzie is a great fit in Tennessee. A lot of people seem to think the Titans are tied to a cornerback in the first round, and whichever cornerback they select will have to be the stalwart in the secondary.
That isn’t the case. Worst case scenario – Robinson and Mularkey ride into 2017 with LeShaun Sims and Logan Ryan as their starting corners. I think they’d be okay with that. Sims graded as the Titans best defensive player for a stretch at the end of 2016, and Ryan has proven more than capable of starting in the NFL.
In Nashville, Awuzie would have ample time to develop his weaknesses into strengths and eventually become the same productive, shutdown cornerback he was at Colorado. The Titans should be taking the best player available at #5 (if they actually pick at #5), and grab Awuzie at #18.
Check out some of Awuzie’s highlights from 2016:
Catch up on previous first round option reports:
Jamal Adams
Jonathan Allen
Derek Barnett
Corey Davis
Reuben Foster
Malik Hooker
OJ Howard
Marlon Humphrey
Forrest Lamp
Marshon Lattimore
John Ross
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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