The Tennessee Titans are in a pretty good spot heading into Thursday’s NFL Draft in Nashville. The general consensus among Titans fans and analysts alike is that Jon Robinson will go defense with his first round selection. Some out there are still banging the drum for a wide receiver, but in my mind, the pass rush and defensive line depth are much more pressing issues.
That said, you never know what’s going to happen in the NFL Draft. The dominoes could fall in any number of ways and put the Titans in an interesting position. Or, maybe J-Rob has a trick up his sleeve and hasn’t shown his hand. I’ve put together a list of a few outside-the-box options for the Titans at #19 should things either not go their way, or should the team be thinking differently than we are.
D.K. Metcalf
The concept of taking a wide receiver isn’t really outside of the box for this team. In fact, they’ve met with a veritable shit ton of receivers throughout the process. None of them named D.K. Metcalf, though.
He’s a raw prospect that could take several seasons to develop. He had some drop issues at Ole Miss. Not exactly what the Titans need right now when you look at some of the key drops that would have drastically altered the 2018 season. Metcalf doesn’t exactly fit the bill of the type of player Robinson has drafted before, and that’s why selecting him would feel a bit outside of the box. But, there’s a chance he could end up being the best receiver out of this draft class in several year. Some maniacs have even called him the next Calvin Johnson.
Let’s play devil’s advocate and say that this staff doesn’t believe in Taywan Taylor and Corey Davis. Would it then make sense to draft a guy who could be the best in the class instead of drafting a speed guy just because he presents the missing dynamic on the Titans offense? Could such uncertainty lend to selecting Metcalf instead of, say, Marquise Brown?
Quarterback
What if? WHAT. IF?
I’m kidding, y’all. This is stupid – quarterback is one of the three positions I don’t see the Titans addressing in any way with the #19th overall pick (along with cornerback and safety).
Tight End
This is going to sound insane to the national media people who don’t actually follow the Titans, but they really don’t even need a tight end this offseason. Mock draft after mock draft after mock draft has one of either Noah Fant, T.J. Hockenson, or Irv Smith, Jr. heading to the Titans. I just don’t buy it.
All of that said, playing devil’s advocate again – I can see a scenario that would end up with the Titans taking a tight end. I mean, bottom line – they need some mismatch guys on offense. What if there’s no receiver worth taking at #19? What if all of the elite DL/DE/EDGE prospects are gone? Or, what if they do trade down and acquire more 2nd/3rd round picks? It’s possible that the cupboard is bare at a position of need and the Titans just take the best player available.
Trade
I don’t see the Titans needing any one position so badly that they’d trade up to get someone. But, it’s possible they could trade down and try to acquire more picks. Like I said, they’re in a good spot – not desperately needing one thing, but needing several pieces of the puzzle.
Jonah Williams
The Titans need a starting right guard. They need to get better along the interior, but this thing’s all about thinking outside of the box, right? We’re having some fun playing devil’s advocate, no? Well, the Titans are set at left tackle. We know that much.
But, do we think it’s safe to say the jury is still out on Jack Conklin after his 2018 campaign? If it is, could the Titans potentially move to grab his heir apparent at right tackle?
Williams could theoretically be there at #19, and while he’s entering the draft as a left tackle, he earned Freshmen All-American honors as a right tackle way back when. A lot of scouts think he lacks the size and power to play left tackle in the NFL. But, he’s as athletic and accomplished as they come.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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