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 Alabama defensive lineman Christian Barmore.
Defensive line is definitely a need for the Titans this year. J-Rob has very clearly made it a point that the existing front seven, as it was in 2020, was not good enough. Through free agency, the Titans have made a concerted effort to beef up the defensive front, and they’ve completely blown up the secondary. Jeffery Simmons is a franchise player on defense. Before he cooled off after the first few games of 2020, he was well on his way to becoming one of the elite defensive linemen in the NFL. Titans fans know all too well how lethal free agent addition Denico Autry can be. But, it’s not enough. The Titans still need a starting caliber player to complement those two along the defensive line.
We get caught up in the cornerback and wide receiver talk, but the need at DL is pressing enough that I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Titans invest their #22 overall pick in the position. That’s for a couple of reasons. For one, it would fit with their activity so far in free agency – beefing up that defensive front. For another, this is not a particularly strong defensive line draft. There are a couple of standout DTs, and then it’s everybody else. Christian Barmore is clearly the cream of the crop, and he just might be there for the Titans to pick at #22.
The first thing you notice about Barmore is his size – this is a big thicc boi we are talking about here, at 6’4″ and 310 pounds. He is a big hunk of man that possesses an unnerving amount of strength and short area quickness and athleticism. He eats up gaps, uses his hands effectively, and can agitate a pocket as much as he can stuff the run. Not to mention, if you value ‘level of competition,’ then it doesn’t get any better than the SEC. Even in practice, he had to get reps against that vaunted Alabama offense. He needs a little more polish, and he needs to develop a little more patience. At times, he could be a bit overly aggressive.
But, if you’re the Titans, you have to love how his game would fit with Big Jeff and Autry. The addition of Christian Barmore would give this team three quality starters along the defensive line, and it would afford them the opportunity to address depth later on, or in free agency. If the value at corner or wide receiver isn’t there, the Titans could certainly do a lot worse than taking the best defensive lineman in the draft.
Further reading: Christian Barmore is ‘boom or bust’ mystery hovering over NFL Draft first round
2021 TITANS FIRST ROUND OPTIONS
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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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