Now that the Titans’ offensive coordinator spot has been filled, GM Jon Robinson’s focus has shifted solely to the NFL draft, and specifically what he will do with the 19th overall pick.
The Titans were a win away from the NFL Playoffs this season, and fans are split down the middle on what caused the offense’s poor performance throughout the year. Some say injuries to Delanie Walker, Jack Conklin, and others were too much to overcome.
Others say Marcus Mariota simply doesn’t have enough skilled players around him to put up points. And others, of course, are fed up with Mariota’s injuries and poor statistics that have tainted the Titans’ last two seasons.
So, the question remains, where do the Titans go in the draft?
By anyone’s measure, another receiver has to be thrown in the mix to play alongside Corey Davis and barring a miracle trade for Antonio Brown, the draft seems like the right place to go. That being said, the 2019 receiving class is extremely deep with no consensus top guy and first-round hopefuls in the double digits—in essence, the value of a Parris Campbell or a Riley Ridley in the second round may be a lot higher than, say, AJ Brown in the first round. While Brown has slightly more upside than the other guys, the difference doesn’t justify a 32-pick gap and the loss of the first-round talent elsewhere.
Since the passing offense has been by far the team’s biggest weakness the last two years, the logical next question has to be about the quarterback. Don’t get too excited if you hopped off the Mariota train, though.
There are only three legitimate starting quarterback prospects in this draft, and one of them might play baseball. Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock will almost certainly go in the top 15 and Kyler Murray won’t make it to 19 unless he opts out of football completely.
Beyond that, Mariota has become the face of this franchise and the guy the rest of this locker room looks up to. Don’t expect anyone but Mariota under center to start 2019. Unless fans think Duke’s Daniel Jones will get us further than the guy who’s lead us to three straight winning seasons, which isn’t the case.
Based on all of these factors, it’s actually unlikely that the Titans bolster the passing game in the first round. Instead, Robinson and co. will likely go with their mantra from the last two seasons and pick the best available player, regardless of position. Well, most of the best players in the 2019 class happen to play on the line of scrimmage, and that’s also the Titans’ best bet for the first round.
CODY FORD, OL, OKLAHOMA
Cody Ford is far from the sexy first-round pick a quarterback or wide receiver would be, but the 335-pounder would almost certainly be the best player left if he fell into the Titans’ lap at 19. Despite his massive 6’4″ frame, Ford possesses two of the quickest feet in this entire class when it comes to linemen and was arguably the most complete lineman in a conference chock-full of NFL-ready prospects. Ford’s ability to play every position but the center would also light a much-needed fire under Quinton Spain, Josh Kline and Jack Conklin, who all took major steps back just a season removed from being regarded as perhaps the best O-line in the NFL. Titans fans will be all-too-familiar with one of Ford’s only red flags, though: during his sophomore year, Ford broke his fibula, which is the same injury that sidelined Mariota at the end of the 2016 season and cost the Titans a shot at the playoffs.
MONTEZ SWEAT, EDGE, MISSISSIPPI STATE
With Brian Orakpo’s somewhat surprising retirement just days after the Titans’ season ended at home, the team is in desperate need of a capable edge rusher with a really cool one-syllable nickname, and “Tez” might just be the guy to replace “Rak” long-term. While Sweat played a 4-3 defensive end at Mississippi State, the 250-pounder has been scouted as an edge rusher who could play as a 3-4 outside linebacker in a system like Tennessee’s. Such a switch would be a huge learning curve on top of getting acclimated to a more physical NFL game, though. Signing Derrick Morgan would be absolutely imperative if the Titans are interested in Sweat—Morgan went through the exact same position change in 2014 so he could mentor Sweat in the intricacies of the position while filling in for Ford on most first and second-down plays for the first season or two.
All seven rounds of the NFL Draft will take place from April 23-25 in Nashville, TN, and the entire draft will be aired both on ABC and ESPN.
