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.
Do I really have to write this one? *sigh* okay…I’ve read several guys who mocked Marlon Humphrey to the Titans. Social media doesn’t seem to be high on him, but for the sake of being thorough, I’ll play along.
I think we can all agree that cornerback is probably the biggest the need the Titans have. The secondary, as a whole, was pretty atrocious in 2016. But, the defensive line was above average (as Jurrell Casey continues to be one of the most underrated players in the NFL), and Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan generated enough of a pass rush to get to opposing quarterbacks.
But, for several years now, elite playmakers have been able to expose the Titans corners. Now, I don’t personally believe this need is as dire as everyone makes it out to be. This is a deep class of cornerbacks, so the Titans can get starters in the third and fourth rounds. But, the team released longstanding number one corner, Jason McCourty. So, the team is heading into 2017 with LeShaun Sims and Logan Ryan as its starters.
I actually don’t think that’s a bad thing. The coaching staff is high on Sims, who graded as the best Titan on defense for a stretch last season. Ryan is a proven starter in the NFL. The need isn’t as bad as many claim it to be. Still, the Titans don’t have a definite number one corner. They’ll need to get one in the draft, and many think it’s a position they’ll address in the first round.
If Marshon Lattimore is gone, then who becomes the presumptive second best cornerback in this draft? Some have said Humphrey.
The former Crimson Tide cornerback has all of the measurable traits you look for in a starting NFL corner. He’s tall and athletic, and comes with the added bonus of having played in the complex Alabama defense. He’s well-practiced in coverage types, so you know he could handle NFL play books.
Humphrey is a fierce competitor. He’s aggressive – driving receivers out of position, hitting hard, and wrestling balls away from the offense (he forced three fumbles in 2016).
But, man oh man, did he get burned far too many times or what? To say Humphrey struggles against the deep ball would be an understatement. There are times when he downright had no idea where the ball was in the air, or even that it was in the air. Because he’s such a good athlete, he was afforded the luxury of slipping in coverage and recovering quick enough to still make plays or keep receivers from catching balls. That won’t happen in the NFL, where every player is just as good an athlete as Humphrey.
As far as attitude and physicality go, he is what a lot of teams are looking for, but in terms of pure coverage, his technique needs a lot of work. If he’s the pick at #5, I will be shocked dead. If he’s the pick at #18, I won’t call it a poor decision. Thing is, as I stated above, I don’t think the Titans are in as dire need of a cornerback as everyone else. He’d have time to develop here.
I just think his weaknesses are too risky for Robinson and the Titans.
Check out Voch Lombardi’s film session on Humphrey:
Catch up on previous first round option reports:
Jamal Adams
Jonathan Allen
Derek Barnett
Corey Davis
Reuben Foster
Malik Hooker
OJ Howard
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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