The 2020 NFL Draft has come to a close. Heading into this year’s historic virtual draft, the Tennessee Titans had some gaping holes they were hoping to fill.
Among their needs was an offensive tackle to fill the void left when Jack Conklin signed with the Cleveland Browns. Pass rush and secondary help were the next two priorities, as both areas were exposed in the AFC Championship game loss to the Chiefs. Finally, they were hoping to secure backups at the quarterback and running back positions, to back up their two franchise players in Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry.
Here’s a look at the team’s 2020 Draft class and my grade for each pick.
Round 1, Pick 29: OT Isaiah Wilson, Georgia
While the team addressed their need on the offensive line, there were arguably better players still on the board that may have been a better fit.
Grade: B
Round 2, Pick 61: CB Kristian Fulton, LSU
This was a steal of a pick in my opinion. They were lucky that he was still available when they were on the clock.
Grade A+
Round 3, Pick 93: RB Darrynton Evans, Appalachian State.
While they needed to address a back up for Derrick Henry, they could’ve waited until the fifth round and snagged a running back. Evans is a nice change of pace, however, for the NFL’s defending rushing champion.
Grade: C
Round 5, Pick 174: DL Larrell Murchison, NC State.
While the team failed to address the pass rush prior to the fifth round, they may have dropped the ball with this pick. The defensive line is one area this team didn’t need much depth.
Grade: D
Round 7, Pick 224: QB Cole McDonald, Hawaii
This was a solid pick, while it wasn’t a top priority, in a seventh-rounder to back up Tannehill. The remarkable thing is they replaced their Hawaiian-born quarterback Marcus Mariota, who signed with the Raiders earlier in the off-season, with a quarterback who went to Hawaii.
Grade: B
Round 7, Pick 243: DB Chris Jackson, Marshall
Thaddeus Moss was still on the board and he would’ve added depth at tight end. But the Jackson pick was the safe pick. A secondary for any team needs depth. Jackson could also end up playing on special teams.
Grade: B+
While the Titans didn’t address the need for pass rush, it could mean they have other plans. Reportedly, free-agent linebacker Jadeveon Clowney is still a possibility. Robinson possibly wanted to try to get an edge rusher in the draft and if not, they could revisit Clowney. At the very least, it would’ve saved them $18 million (Clowney’s asking price) against the cap.
Total Draft Class Grade: B
It’s a decent class for a team that picked at the bottom of every round.
