The 2021 NFL Draft takes place April 29-May 1 this year, emanating LIVE from Cleveland, Ohio. As it stands, the Tennessee Titans have one first round draft pick. General manager Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Vrabel currently hold the 22nd 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 Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
Ah, yes – it does indeed feel good to be back, as the kids are saying these days. Are the kids saying that these days? I can’t keep up. Anyway, we’re kicking off my annual series of NFL Draft prospects that make sense for the Titans and could be available for them to pick at #22 with a look at the explosive Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. Wide receiver has become a massive need for the Titans after the team cut Adam Humphries, let Kalif Raymond walk, and lost Corey Davis to the New York Jets via free agency. It was set to be the AJ Brown and Cameron Batson show before the team signed Josh Reynolds last week. I love Batson as a #4, and I love Reynolds as a #3 – but Davis leaves a gaping hole at #2. While I certainly believe Brown can shoulder the load and continue on his trajectory towards being one of the best receivers in the league, the Titans need another play-maker in the receiving corps. We’ve seen what this capable of with a potent 1-2 punch at the position, so why on Earth wouldn’t you try to keep that going? Considering how the team invested in the defensive front seven in free agency, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see them go receiver in the first round. Emory Hunt of CBS Sports sees them doing just that, mocking Waddle sliding all the way to the Titans at #22.
Waddle is the most explosive receiver in the class; think Rocket Ismail and Joey Galloway-type speed and explosiveness. He’ll add a different dynamic to the Titans passing game.
It’s absolutely insane to me to imagine that Waddle will actually be there when the Titans pick at #22. This class is DeVonta Smith, Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, and then everybody else. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see all three of these guys go in the top 10. Waddle has clear WR1 potential, so don’t get your hopes up, Titans fans. Nonetheless, it’s still fun to talk about.
For me, what separates Waddle from the rest of the pack isn’t just his speed (though he does possess blazing speed, and if he gets behind your cornerbacks, about all you can do is say your prayers). He’s a much more nuanced receiver than people seem to give him credit for. He has sound technique as a route runner – the film shows a guy who is savvy at timing his routes to put defensive backs in positions to get beat. He’s slippery against man coverage, and even shows a propensity for breaking at the right time to run right through double coverage. And, of course, it’s all about gettin’ behind the defense. He’s elusive with the ball in his hands, and if he beats you, you’re cooked. Some underrated aspects of his game are his concentration…he tracks balls well and has underrated hops to go up and get contested balls (just watch the Mizzou game, my goodness).
What does it for me is how creative offensive coordinators can get in how they use Waddle. He may very well be the most dynamic offensive weapon in this draft class. I’d imagine the Titans would be doing cartwheels if he somehow slipped to them at #22 as Hunt predicts. Can you imagine having this type of guy opposite AJ Brown? That’s not even fair.
Further Reading: Jim Nagy compared Jaylen Waddle to Devin Hester.
2021 TITANS FIRST ROUND OPTIONS
Coming soon
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. 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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