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 Minnesota receiver Rashod Bateman.
Alright, let’s talk about a wide receiver that’s a little more realistic for the Titans at #22 than Jaylen Waddle. I’ve said all offseason that while the Titans need a new “2nd guy” at receiver, they don’t necessarily need a Corey Davis replacement. As long as you can get a guy that’s going to move the chains, make some plays, and keeps that Titans offense going, it doesn’t matter how we get there. That’s why I love Rashod Bateman for the Titans so much – he’s a vastly different receiver than Davis, but if you just envision what this Titans passing game could become with a guy like him opposite A.J. Brown, it is exciting. It’s enough to make ya tingle if ya know what I’m saying.
At 6’0″ and 190 pounds, Bateman is a guy with size that the Titans could line up outside to make quite the formidable pair with Brown. He has the hands and savvy route-running to be a Week 1 player in the NFL. He was productive at Minnesota, and historically speaking, production has been a major factor in J-Rob’s ultimate decision-making process. His blocking could use some work, and his inconsistency against top flight caliber corners in the college game has been cited as a concern. But, when it comes down to it, Bateman is a versatile wide receiver that does a lot of different things very well, and with good adjustment abilities and a polished route-running acumen, he is one of the better overall receiving prospects in this year’s draft.
To me, it’s the way he runs his routes, specifically the way he breaks, that has me excited about his potential fit with the Titans. We’ve seen how Brown has been able to wreak havoc because of his breaking ability. Imagine if you had two guys in the receiving corps with that specific skill set. It would really balance out this Titans passing game. The bottom line, to me, is that Bateman is a guy who can make things happen as a wide receiver, and that’s just the piece the Titans need on offense. Hell, Bucky Brooks has even compared him to AJ Brown (link below).
Further Reading: From Zone Coverage, Rashod Bateman Is This Year’s Justin Jefferson
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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