Tennessee Titans: Draft Grades and Recap

During the NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans built up assets to help construct the future of their franchise.

In Coach Mike Vrabel’s first season, the Titans had nine wins and seven losses. They barely missed out on the playoffs. He brought toughness to the defense and allowed the team to contend at a new level. They won or lost eight games last year by nine points or less. Nashville hasn’t seen that type of competitiveness since Coach Fisher was shown the door.

The Titans still had a lot of holes to fill heading into this year’s draft, despite an impressive previous season. The biggest needs were at Linebacker, Offensive Line, Defensive Line, Defensive Back, and Tight End. They secured some help via free agency, but those players were all older vets on one- or two-year contracts. Coach Mike Vrabel went defensive heavy in this draft, and I can’t blame him. This draft was loaded with talent. Let’s take a look at the six new editions to the Titans:

Round 1, Selection 19

Jeffery Simmons, Defensive Tackle, Mississippi St

Grade: A-

Watching his highlights, Simmons looks like a very fluid and athletic defensive tackle at 6-foot-3 and 303 pounds. In college, he amassed 163 tackles (58 solo, 105 assisted, 33 for loss), seven sacks, and forced fumbles. The sacks are not always the stat to focus on. The amount of tackles he has as a defensive tackle demonstrates he does not give up on a play. He finds a way to find the ball. The Titans will need him to expand on his skill set and put pressure on the quarterback. If he can be that nuisance in the middle to free up newly signed Cameron Wake, he will be an anchor on the defensive line for years to come.

Round 2, Selection 19 (51)

A.J. Brown, Wide Receiver, Mississippi

Grade: A

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With this pick, the Titans take a 6-foot, 226-pound bruiser. I like AJ Brown. Watching his highlights I see a receiver who moves fluidly in and out of his patterns. He’s not afraid to enter the middle of the field on a crossing pattern or on the dreaded quick slant. I appreciate a guy who can track the ball and know the path he’s on. He had 189 receptions and averaged 15.8 yards per catch in his collegiate career. I’m also a big fan of guys that move the chains. NFL.com has him compared to JuJu Smith-Schuster, and that is one of the highest compliments. If this comparison holds true, then Marcus Mariota will have a shiny new toy that could save his job in Tennessee. Let him wreak havoc in the middle of the field and force the defense to account for him.

Round 3, Selection 19 (82)

Nate Davis, Guard, Charlotte

Grade: A-

The Titans beef up their offensive Line with a 6-foot-3, 316-pound guard. Watching his workout at the combine, we see a guy who has potential. He started 37 of 41 games in college, which means he stays healthy and can compete for a spot on day one. I think he has the ability to fill in at either guard spot. From what I see, he needs to work on his pad level, and his lateral movement. However, that is generally the case moving from college to the NFL. Guys are faster and stronger, and you need the leverage to hold your own. It’s a great value pick in the second day, and another piece to help Mariota. The better the line, the more the quarterback can relax and read the field. Davis has the chance to become a starter early on in his career.

Round 4, Selection 14 (116)

Amani Hooker, Safety, Iowa

Grade: A

I love what I see out of Hooker. He can move up and press at the line of scrimmage, and can also drop back into coverage, which led to four interceptions and nine deflections. He has great instincts and is not afraid of contact. Iowa had him as a hybrid outside linebacker or Safety. Some would view this as a weakness since it does not secure him a definitive position. I, on the other hand, like guys that are able to play multiple positions, especially in a pass happy division where his skills can be utilized as a nickel linebacker. He’s only 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds, but he should be able to add another 10-15 pounds once he gets in with the Titans’ strength coaches, who will help him work toward becoming a starter. It will be fun to see how he gets used as camps begin this spring.

Round 5, Selection 30 (168)

D’Andre Walker, Outside Linebacker, Georgia

Grade: A-

Walker is 6-foot-2 and 251 pounds. He was not a starter in college until 2017, and when he got his chance to shine, he did so with 26 solo tackles (13.5 for loss) and 5.5 sacks. He was highly productive in one of the toughest conferences in college football. As a senior in 2018, he finished with 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. I see him not so much as a pure tackler, but as more of a pick-you-up-and-slam-you guy. He’ll need to work on his form. However, I can see him making a huge impact on special teams, and being a backup to start camp. He has the size to take on blockers in the box and I think he’ll get playing time, but he has some mechanics that need to be fixed before he can become a full-time starter.

Round 6, Selection 16 (188)

David Long, Jr., Linebacker, West Virginia

Grade: A

The last pick was used on Long. I like what I see on tape. He’s a physical linebacker who is not afraid of contact and can hold his own at the point of attack. His biggest downside is his size at his position. He’s only 5-foot-11 and 227 pounds. To be a consistent starter in the NFL he’ll need to put on at least 10-15 more pounds. Although he uses his size well and is able to get lower than his target, he sometimes has a tendency to drop to his knees to tackle. He was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the year though, so whatever his size and techniques may be, they’ve proven effective. I see him making a huge impact on special teams, especially with how much he loves to make contact. He could also be a good nickel hybrid guy in the future. Since Long was projected as a fourth-round pick and the Titans got a steal in the sixth, this pick gets an A grade as well.

The Titans definitely made some bold picks. All in all, if you take a look at the strong players the Titans picked, and when they got them, it is easy to give them an overall A grade for this draft. However, they do have some lingering issues in the fact that most of their picks have some sort of injury.

Drafts are all high risk, high reward. Until they get on the field in camp, and most importantly, on the field in September when the season starts, it’s tough to know if the risk will pay off. The only need they did not address was tight end. Hopefully, they can find someone in free agency to help until Delanie Walker is ready.

Coach Mike Vrabel will have some new toys that should have Titan fans excited to compete in an increasingly tougher division.

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