The 2020 NFL Draft takes place April 23-25 this year, emanating LIVE from everywhere ’cause it’s basically going to be one big Zoom meeting. As it stands, the Tennessee Titans have one first round draft pick. General manager Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Vrabel currently hold the 29th 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. Today, we’re lookin’ at former Penn State edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos.
As of this writing, the jury’s still out on Jadeveon Clowney. But, in my opinion, regardless of whether or not Clowney elects to sign with the Titans, they need another pure pass rusher. Harold Landry is the best of the group, and figures to be the premiere pass rusher for the Titans in 2020. They signed Vic Beasley to a one-year “prove it” deal, but it ain’t like he’s comin’ to Nashville without any question marks. Kamalei Correa is a hell of an effort guy and productive in the rotation. The Titans figure to get a look at a healthy D’Andre Walker, but he’s a bit of an uncertainty in his own right.
Maybe I’m crazy, but I just don’t think it’s enough. What if Beasley doesn’t pan out? What if Correa proves he’s best suited for the rotational third guy spot? And, what if Walker doesn’t amount to much? The Titans need alpha dogs. A guy that can come in and be elite as a pure pass rusher.
That’s why I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go after an edge rusher in the first round regardless of what happens with Clowney. Not to mention, this isn’t a very deep draft class when it comes to the pass rushers. If they want a difference-maker, they’re going to have to take him at #29…or hell, they might even have to trade up to get that guy.
Can Gross-Matos be that guy? That’s the question. He was one of the first names I saw mocked to the Titans, so that’s why we’re starting here.
He’s great at setting the edge and playing the run game well. The dude has the size and athleticism to become an elite pass rusher in the NFL, but I don’t think he’s anywhere near that just yet. Issues with his technique and football IQ make him a huge question mark for a team looking for a pure pass rusher. He needs to play a little more consistently, too – I’m not implying that he’s lazy…he just seems to lack a certain level of aggression. His positioning is off on some plays – he tends to play to the offensive lineman when they get their hands on him and not to the direction of the play. He gets around the quarterback often enough, but I want to see him effect the quarterback a little more.
That said, the biggest concerns surrounding Yetur Gross-Matos are issues that can be coached up. He has the type of size that ought to have NFL defensive coordinators drooling at ways to line him up (…just ffs, don’t play him at nose tackle like Penn State did). He has all of the physical tools to be an impact player in the NFL. I’d say give him a couple of years with a good coach that knows how to use him, and you’ve got the star that this guy’s ceiling indicates he can be.
Ultimately, I don’t think he’s a fit for the Titans because of what they would need out of him. He’s not developed enough to come in and be “the guy” in the pass rush department right away. If a team needs some help from a pure 4-3 DE that can stop the run and has ample time to develop a pass rush tool box, by all means, Gross-Matos can be the guy. He’s just not what the Titans need right now.
Further Reading: Yetur Gross-Matos endured two unspeakable tragedies, refuses to let sadness consume him – from The Palm Beach Post.
2020 Titans First Round Options
Coming soon
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, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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