Tennessee Titans Draft Grade
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The post draft NFL power rankings have been released this week. The Tennessee Titans are ranked 12th which would make them a playoff team. Let’s take a look at the new Titans.
Wide receiver Corey Jackson from Western Michigan was selected No. 5 overall. He’s been compared to Terrell Owens. Tennessee is hoping he can produce like TO on the field. He’s a big target standing 6’3 and 209 pounds.
Marcus Mariota needs a target on the outside, which is what Davis is. He was one of the top receivers in the nation last season with 97 catches, 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Tennessee had another first round pick which was No. 18. They picked USC cornerback Adoree’ Jackson. This was a great pick because it addressed need. They ranked 30th in pass defense allowing 269.2 yards per game.
Jackson isn’t the biggest corner; he’s 5’11 and 185 pounds. He does have great speed and athleticism. He can also be a threat in the return game.
Western Kentucky WR Taywan Taylor was taken in the third round with the 72nd pick. Taylor had a big game against Alabama’s talented secondary, catching 9 passes for 121 yards. He finished the season with 98 receptions, 1,730 yards and 17 scores. Pairing him with Davis might make them one of the most dynamic duos in the league.
TE Jonnu Smith from FIU was the 100th pick. At 6’3, 248 lbs. he’s another big target. His skill set is similar to Delanie Walker. I think this is a good pick but they could have tried to add another piece to the struggling secondary with this pick considering they already have a Pro Bowl tight end.
In the fifth round UCLA LB Jayon Brown was picked at No. 155. He led the Bruins in tackles the last two years. In 2016 he had 105 (7 for loss), 3 interceptions and 6 pass break ups. He was first-team All-Pac-12. He’s small, only 6’0 and 231 lbs. which is concerning.
Pick No. 227 in the sixth round was offensive lineman Corey Levin out of Tennessee-Chattanooga. He played left guard and left tackle. He was named the Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner as SoCon’s top offensive lineman in 2015 and 2016. He was a second-team Associated Press All-American as a junior and senior, and was also a first-team All-SoCon pick in 2016.
Tennessee had three picks in the seventh round. Pick No. 227 was OLB Josh Carraway from TCU. He was first-team All-Big 12 the last two seasons. He had 11 tackles for loss and 8 sacks last year. He has ideal size at 6’3 and 242 pounds.
The 236th pick was offensive tackle Brad Seaton from Villanova. He’s a massive man standing 6’7, 310 pounds. He was named second-team All-Colonial Athletic Association in 2016. He was a three-year starter and he has surprising lateral quickness and agility for such a tall player.
The final pick was No. 241 RB Khalfani Muhammad of Cal. He’s very small, only 5’7 and 170 pounds. He could be very good on special teams as a returner. He ran a 4.3 forty so he’s fast. He rushed for 827 yards and averaged 5.4 yards per carry in 2016.
Overall I think Tennessee had a very good draft. They surrounded Mariota with weapons. I think they have a chance to win the AFC South. I give their draft grade a B +.
