I don’t even know what I’m doing here, guys. I know free agency is going on, and that’s enough for anyone who covers the Tennessee Titans to keep up with, but I’m already all in on mock draft season. I can’t stop won’t stop. Any free time I get is spent on Pro Football Focus‘s mock draft machine. By and large, I think it’s the mark of a good team that you don’t really know where they’re going to lean in the NFL Draft. And, that’s the case with the Titans. Y’know…outside of maybe defensive tackle and running back, I don’t know that I would be surprised if they went anywhere in the first round of this year’s draft.
That might come as a surprise to some, but let me clarify – I’m not saying they should take a linebacker over a wide receiver or that they should take a cornerback over an offensive lineman. I’m just saying that we should know better than to rule anything out. I don’t think there’s anything Jon Robinson and Mike Vrabel could do that would surprise me at this point (except for, as we’ve established, taking a running back or defensive tackle in the first round). But, I don’t think that’s a bad thing per se. We lose sight of that – there’s little this regime could do in the first round that would cause a catastrophe. Maybe that’s a hot take…I don’t know.
Nonetheless, the anxiety in my brain can’t cope with it. I’m constantly running through a myriad of scenarios that could lead to the Titans taking a particular position. Maybe I should seek professional help, but that’s not the point here today. The point is that after hearing JRob talk about looking at the future of the quarterback position, I thought to myself, “hmmmm….would it really be possible for the Titans to select a quarterback at #26? And, if so, who would it be?” If they did want a quarterback that had a legitimate shot at becoming a franchise guy, they’d have to take him with that 26th overall selection because…listen, this quarterback class is shaky enough as is….you’re not going to find THAT type of guy in the middle to late rounds of this draft.
I had been operating under the premise that Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett, and Matt Corral would likely be off the board come time for the Titans to pick. But, lo and behold, I’m fuckin’ around on the PFF mock draft machine last week and when the bell rings for me to pick, Corral just so happens to still be available. This was the first time that had happened for me so I decided to play a little ‘what if?’ and take him. This is what I ended up with:
I just inadvertently built the Titans offense of the future, nbd. So, you guys can go ahead and laugh and throw your tomatoes at me, but Corral is my QB1…whatever that is worth. I know it’s a massive roll of the dice to bet on his health and his skill set translating to the NFL from Lane Kiffin‘s offense. But, I just love the dude’s moxie – he’s a gamer. I think he’s got underrated maneuverability, is capable of throwing into NFL windows, does a better job of manipulating defenses and going through his progressions than he’s being given credit for…shit, I wrote more about that here and here (I love Matt Corral, sue me). My point is that if you were in need of a quarterback, and Corral happened to be there at #26, it is my opinion that you would actually be getting a value. So, I’ll say it – if the Titans end up with Corral, I won’t be mad about it. *dodges tomatoes*
Then, you get the offensive line help for the future – I know some people are iffy on Chris Paul, but ever since he has signed with the Phoenix Suns….damn it, I couldn’t resist. What a cringe joke. I can’t believe I typed that out. Paul’s a raw prospect, but man, he has the prototypical size you want in an offensive lineman, and this Titans regime has shown a propensity for developing those guys they grab in the middle of a draft or even after it’s over. I’m a big fan of Cam Jurgens, too – he’s going to be a great value add for someone late in this draft.
And, you get play-makers galore with this mock! Christian Watson feels like a Titans type at wide receiver – he’s big, physical, athletic, and can do just about everything well. Then, you get an athletic prospect at tight end in Chigoziem Okonkwo and a guy that all of draft Twitter seems to be sleeping on in Bo Melton. He’s a shifty receiver that can find open spots and move well with the ball in his hands. He too is going to provide some tremendous value late for a team. I can’t believe I’m about to say this….but….if this were to happen, I don’t think I’d actually be mad about it. WTF – how did we get here?
Also, how dare you give me a D for this, PFF. Go to hell!
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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, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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