The 2019 NFL Draft takes place April 25-27 this year, emanating LIVE from right here in Nashville, Tennessee. As it stands, the Tennessee Titans have one first round draft pick. General manager Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Vrabel currently hold the 19th overall selection. Over the next few weeks, your boy “Big Natural” Stoney Keeley will be taking a look at some of the prospects who are either rumored to be tied to or who make sense for the Titans.
I’m still on board with a pass rusher in the first round of the draft this year. Just think it’s clearly the missing ingredient on a defense that was already one of the best, most underrated, units in the entire league. They need to rejuvenate the pass rush altogether. But, it seems a foregone conclusion that the guy I started this year’s series with, Montez Sweat, is going to be long gone by the time the Titans select at #19. Instead, the Titans will likely be picking from the second tier of pass rushers if they choose to do so. Enter former Clemson DE Clelin Ferrell.
Ferrell was voted first-team All-American by the AP in 2017 AND 2018. He won the Ted Hendricks Award, honoring college football’s best defensive end, in 2018. He was the defensive MVP of the Fiesta Bowl in 2016, and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2018. Yeah, the dude has brought home some hardware.
Last season, he amassed 55 tackles, 20 of those for a loss, with 11.5 sacks. He forced three fumbles, deflected two passes, and scored a defensive touchdown. He’s just an all-around disruptor from the defensive end position.
Though at 6’4″ 264 pounds, he’s a big time power rusher, what makes him special is his jump off the ball. I swear, sometimes it looks as if he can read the center’s mind. Man to man, he’s a behemoth. Largely because of how quick he’s up and in pursuit of the quarterback, he beats his opposition and sheds offensive linemen like crazy.
In terms of weaknesses, Ferrell isn’t a very fluid or natural bender. It cost him some sacks, as he wasn’t able to finish on a lot of plays. He doesn’t have a lot of pass rush moves, either.
Lance Zierlein’s NFL comparison is fittingly that of former Titans DE Derrick Morgan. What better way to place Morgran than with another Morgan, amirite?!?!
All in all, Ferrell was incredibly productive and accomplished at Clemson. He fits the bill of what Jon Robinson looks for in terms of productivity.
Further reading: Please learn to pronounce his name correctly.
2019 TENNESSEE TITANS FIRST ROUND OPTIONS
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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