I can certainly understand the vision behind the Tennessee Titans selecting Georgia linebacker Monty Rice in the 2021 NFL Draft. There will be some decisions to make at the position in the future between a decline in performance from Rashaan Evans, and what is essentially a one-year deal with Jayon Brown. I love what David Long brings to the group from a depth perspective, but I don’t know if he can hold down the fort as a starter deep into the future. So, why not grab your guy (assuming Rice is your guy)? The Titans made Rice a 3rd round draft pick, a selection that came higher than an awful lot of analysts expected. This is all a long-winded for me to say that this was the pick I understood the least. But, to be fair, I didn’t scout Rice at all. And, now that he’s here, he’s here (that sounds like a Yogi-ism). So, let’s see what we got.
You can check out Talkin’ Giants’ video on Rice if you’re into more film breakdown than highlights. I came to enjoy their work throughout the draft process (Voch Lombardi‘s usually my guy, though).
The thing I like most about Rice are his instincts in run support – where he showed a propensity for shedding blocks – and in chasing down screens/jet sweeps in which offenses try to get their explosive play-makers on the outside. He even ran down Kadarius Toney for a loss when Georgia played Florida. He has outstanding play recognition. And, he’s a solid, aggressive tackler. He is a savvy linebacker with a demonstrated understanding of angles more so than the fly-all-over-the-field linebacker. Rice has quality leadership traits as well. The concern would be the lack of elite athleticism, speed, and twitch. Plus, the foot injury from 2020 that really slowed him down. Some are concerned by the fact that Rice is already on his third agent throughout this process. But, I can’t find enough real substantial news on the matter to have an opinion. I mean…I hate to say it because it’s been beaten to death over the course of the last few days….but he really does look like a less physically gifted Rashaan Evans. That’s not to say Rice isn’t talented – he is. But, we forget what a thoroughbred Evans is because he didn’t always play like it in 2020.
The Titans declined Evan’s 5th year option. I thought the man was poised for a breakout campaign in 2020, after showing signs of progression in 2019, his sophomore season. But, he committed a lot of dumb penalties, and just outright looked lost at times in 2020. He was pretty much only effective in short yardage and goal line situations, when he could shoot gaps and stuff running backs. So, I’m not surprised to see the Titans decline his 5th year option, and bringing in an early-round draft pick like Rice may signify that they want somebody pushing him.
It’s as if the Titans said, “hey, let’s get a guy kinda like Rashaan Evans to maybe replace Rashaan Evans in a year. Oh, and we’ll select him way higher than anyone else would, even though we need a play-maker on offense in a bad way.”
Further reading
- 5 things to know about Georgia linebacker Monty Rice, a Titans’ third-round NFL Draft pick
- Bulldogs in the Draft: Monty Rice
- See it: Monty Rice was a Titan long before being drafted
Don’t forget to check out our friends at MANSCAPED, who just launched the new Refined Cologne. Get 20% off your entire order and free shipping with the promo code ‘SOBROSTITANS’ at checkout.
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
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
