What a journey it’s been – I don’t know why, but it feels like this draft season has been the longest one yet. Now, we finally get to put all the mock drafts to bed and watch actual football players actually get drafted to actual teams. So, before the Tennessee Titans are on the clock with the 26th pick tonight, I figured I’d take the opportunity to relive my ‘Titans First Round Options’ series and mention some other guys I think could be in play that I didn’t get the chance to write about.
2021 TITANS FIRST ROUND OPTIONS
Treylon Burks – full report – “The more you watch of him, the more of his athleticism and physicality show up. It’s impressive, and to be honest, the AJ Brown comparisons look spot-on to me. Burks wins a lot of battles with his pure talent – he’s slippery in the open field and knows how to find gaps in coverage and accelerate right through them. He has a lot of incredible circus catches on his tape. It is easy to see why some think he could be a top 15 pick.”
Nakobe Dean – full report – “Dean checks an awful lot of the boxes you look for in a franchise linebacker. He is an electric athlete with sideline-to-sideline range. He has the intangibles you look for in a linebacker – I know some have been critical of his play diagnosis, but he’s shown flashes of great instincts. Scouts say he lacks ideal size and length, but the tackle production is there. Will it translate to the NFL, where the bodies are bigger? That’s what some folks will weigh – I wouldn’t. This guy is a thoroughbred with a well-rounded, complete game.”
Jahan Dotson – full report – “He’s a toy for an offensive coordinator to play with – he can be gadgety, versatile, and able to line up anywhere along the formation. Penn State did a fantastic job of scheming him open, and if whichever team he lands with can do the same, he’ll be fine. He has a nice acceleration variation to his game, which makes him hard to track down with the ball in his hands. I also noticed a few times when he bated defenders into poor angles with savvy breaks – that potential is there, but it wasn’t on tape consistently. He strikes me as the type that can run quick slants, catch screens, and generate offense with his YAC ability. Plus, he has return value as well.”
Kenyon Green – full report – “Green is a punisher and a finisher regardless of where he lines up. He’s got the bend and the balance that equates to solid leverage, and he uses it as a weapon against whoever lines up opposite him. He is a dude-mover, for sure, and that power is immediately what pops when you watch him play. Green steamrolls guys, and he’s the type of player who simply will not let up until the ref blows the whistle. That gives him road grading potential in the run game in the NFL. In pass protection, he’s got solid movement ability, with the power to just plant his stake in the ground and keep you from getting to the quarterback. He does well to identify and address stunts from the defensive line. I honestly have trouble finding any overly concerning weaknesses in his game.”
Zion Johnson – full report – “Johnson is excellent in terms of body control and lateral movement. That makes him the perfect fit for a zone running scheme. He plays with a wide base and plenty of power to hold up in pass protection. To me, his defining traits are the savvy he plays with, his understanding of leverage, and his ability to play with polished technique. He’s surely a safe guard prospect in the right system.”
Darian Kinnard – full report – “Kinnard is a finisher that looks to put people in the dirt and then drive down on top of their dead bodies. He is a people-mover once he gets in position and drives his feet forward. His athleticism is being a bit underrated, too. He’s capable of pulling, and just popping up in a gap to blow it wide open. Imagine being a defender, thinking you’ve got an opening to blow up a run, and then POOF – this 6’5″ 322 pound mountain is suddenly in front of you. It’s fucking awesome.”
Tyler Linderbaum – full report – “When you watch the tape on Linderbaum, the first thing that jumps off the screen is his athleticism and ability to get to the second level and quite simply find somebody to hit. But, if you watch a little closer, you’ll notice how active his eyes are. Linderbaum is a cerebral player who is constantly aware of his surroundings. Voch Lombardi pointed out a play during which Linderbaum goes through progressions like a quarterback. He’s a savvy prospect to say the least, and that pairs well with his polished technique in pass protection. He demonstrated good feet, fluid movement, and steady balance.”
Drake London – full report – “With his size and some of the ridiculous catches he’s put on film Mossin’ dudes, it’s easy to get caught up in his 50-50 contested catch ability. That’s why he’s drawing comparisons to Mike Evans. But, there’s a savvy and nuance to his game that I don’t think people are truly appreciating. What I love most about London’s game is how he jukes DBs from the snap to set up his routes down the field. I think he does more at the line of scrimmage to get open down field than maybe any other receiver in this class. He’s an underrated route runner. As for physical traits outside of his size, London has great ball tracking ability, body control, and great hands. He can be a valuable security blanket for whoever his quarterback is, as he has a demonstrated propensity for working back to the ball on film. And, while he’s not necessarily shifty in the open field, he plays with concrete in his cleats. When he plants his feet in the dirt, he’s hard to bring down.”
Roger McCreary – full report – “While McCreary can allow guys to create space at times, he is an excellent pure man corner that is persistent in mirroring wide receivers, and has shown a propensity for being a pesky shadow throughout their routes. He is an aggressive, steady, lockdown type of guy. He’s tough from a competitive standpoint, and doesn’t shy away from the physicality of the game. He’s also a great tackler – even when he does allow an easy reception, his tackling ability limits YAC potential quickly. He went toe-to-toe in man situations against those vaunted Alabama receivers last year (not to mention the other receivers he’s faced throughout his career, hence the “battle-tested” part of my evaluation). There’s a hell of a PBU from McCreary in the video below during which he runs Metchie down from behind and lays out to smack the ball down. That’s emblematic of both McCreary’s ability and his football character – he’s the type of guy that is going to play with a lot of green on his jersey, and he’s going to aggravate the hell out of a lot of wide receivers.”
Trey McBride – full report – “McBride has an explosive skill set as a receiving threat from the tight end position. He’s just what you want in a cornerstone type of piece – speed, movement, savvy, good hands, competitiveness. He’s the type of player that you can trust in contested catch situations because he has a large catch radius and plays with the strength to wrestle the ball away from defenders. But, that’s assuming he’s even in a contested catch situation. I like McBride’s ability to separate. I’m leery of lofting a Travis Kelce comparison out there because that’s an unrealistic expectation to put on anyone coming out of the draft, so I need to qualify this careful – McBride has the skillset that, if he were to continue to develop in the NFL, you could utilize in similar fashion to how the Kansas City Chiefs utilize Kelce. He demonstrated an ability to line up anywhere in a formation, beat zone coverage, and reliably make plays.”
Chris Olave – full report – “Namely, for me, it’s his speed and his smooth route running that make him such a weapon. Not just in terms of raw ability either – but it’s the way he uses his speed, showing nice burst when he needs to separate, nice adjustment to the ball in the air, and an ability to dodge contact in the open field with the ball in his hands. Same with the route running – it’s not just using his balance and technique to run crisp routes, but it’s his understanding of when to break on a defensive back and the variety of ways he can do it (accelerate past them, hitch, curl, whatever – Olave can do it) that make him such an interesting prospect to me. Between his speed and savvy, Olave looks like a big-play factory to me.”
Trevor Penning – full report – “There is plenty to like about him as a prospect. Namely, he is aggressive and plays chippy…maybe too chippy at times, but he is mean and nasty. That’s something you typically like in an offensive lineman. He is quick into his stance and has the movement skills to get in front of anybody. I did think he did a good job of rerouting guys in 1:1 drills at the Senior Bowl. The hallmark of his game, in my assessment anyway, is how good his play strength is in the running game. He can be an anchor and really seal the edge. I just think he’ll need to end up in a situation with a great offensive line coach that can fine tune his technique, and I think he needs a little more time than people are thinking right now.”
Desmond Ridder – full report – “He’s a tough, competitive guy who is underrated as a dual-threat guy. He has shown flashes of some tremendous accuracy, and has the arm talent to throw the ball well. It just hasn’t been consistent, but Ridder is capable of throwing some real dimes. He played with some pro concepts at Cincinnati and demonstrated a firm command of that offense. Re-read the last few sentences and think about who it reminds you of, Titans fans…yeah, it’s easy to see why so many scouts and analysts are comparing Ridder to Ryan Tannehill. A lot of folks are calling Ridder “NFL ready,” though I would qualify that as “NFL ready from the neck up.””
Tyler Smith – full report – “Smith checks a lot of the physical boxes you look for in a cornerstone tackle – he’s big, he’s strong, he’s powerful, and he plays an angry style of football. He is a finisher that wants to put people in the dirt. Once he gets his feet set and can drive forward, you’re cooked. Smith is known for his run-blocking ability, but he does show some capability in anchoring and stalling defensive linemen around the outside. It’s easy to see why a staff that has faith in their ability to teach technique would be so high on Smith.”
Jalen Tolbert – full report – “Tolbert is a big play factory with a knack for picking up huge chunk plays because of his speed, separation skills, and his ability to win in contested catch situations. He is a freak athlete that can high point the football with the best of them, he has sticky sticky hands, and he has put plenty of instances of beating double coverage on tape. Beating double coverage regularly may be harder to do in the NFL than it was in the Sun Belt, but the bottom line is that the tape shows true #1 wide receiver potential for a team. If you put one guy on him, he’s going to beat you.”
Jameson Williams – full report – “Whoever ends up with Williams is getting the best pure play-maker in this draft class…again…that’s assuming he returns to form after tearing his ACL. He is simply electric, possessing the speed, burst, and explosiveness to make cornerbacks who give him a cushion pay. Williams has a large catch radius, and the ability to juke defenders, shed tacklers, and create opportunities after the catch. He is magnificent in the open field, and that lends itself to special teams versatility (he had a couple of kick return touchdowns to go with his 15 receiving touchdowns in 2021 as well). To me, Williams looks a lot like his predecessor at Alabama, Jaylen Waddle, in how he plays and how he can be used in an offense.”
Jalen Wydermyer – full report – Look, give me a break. I wrote this before he tested so poorly at his pro day that people started calling him undraftable. If the Titans draft him in the first round, I will become the Joker.
Players to Watch
Here are some more guys who either make sense, or who could be high on the Titans board with the pick at #26. In no order….
- Quarterbacks – Take your pick…Matt Corral, Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis, Sam Howell…I feel like Ridder is the most “Titans guy” of the bunch, but I could see a scenario in which any of these guys becomes the Titans’ quarterback of the future.
- Bernhard Raimann – He’s too unrefined for my liking, and I think he’ll struggle against NFL speed, but he is a name that keeps popping up in the 20s, and the Titans do need offensive line help.
- David Ojabo – I don’t think EDGE is completely off the table if the board falls a certain way. Ojabo has a long way to go. I’m not as high on him as others are, but I can’t deny the potential he has.
- Devin Lloyd – Not really what the Titans need…like…at all, but should he slide to #26, he would be a good value pick.
- Quay Walker – I would be surprised if the Titans went linebacker in the first three rounds of the draft, but Walker is beginning to gain some steam as a surprise first rounder, and if he’s the top guy on their board…well…you know.
- Ed Ingram – No one seems to have a first round grade on Ingram anymore, but I love the way he plays with leverage. At one point, he was considered a 2nd rounder with fringe 1st round potential. Lump him in the “surprise pick” category.
- Christian Watson – I’m not touching Watson with a 10-foot pole, but even I can’t ignore that he looks like the “Titans type” at receiver.
- Garrett Wilson – I’m not as high on Wilson as others, but he was the one guy of the top receivers in the class that I didn’t write a full report on, so I’ve at least got to mention him here, right?
- Skyy Moore – See “Christian Watson,” but I’m more likely to touch Skyy Moore with a 10-foot pole.
- George Pickens – Something just feels off about Pickens. I know a lot of y’all love him, and maybe he does sneak into the first round, but I’m just not as sold as you guys.
- Cole Strange – I love Strange’s game (got to interview him after the Senior Bowl, too), and think he is tailor made for the Tennessee Titans for his versatility, fit in the zone running scheme, and his attitude. I’m putting him in the “surprise pick” category too.
- Jelani Woods – I don’t even know what I’m doing here. Woods popped up in a mock not too long ago, and it doesn’t even make sense. I’m literally just trying to cover all the bases…which I could do by just naming 300 players in this list, I guess. Same difference.
- Charles Cross – If Cross slides to the Titans, I will cream my britches on our live NFL Draft broadcast.
- Trade back – Get more picks. Simple as that.
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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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