Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Corey Davis (Western Michigan) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as he is selected as the number 5 overall pick to the Tennessee Titans in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jon Robinson made interesting moves and filled the Tennessee Titans needs in the 2017 NFL Draft, but it will be Corey Davis who makes or breaks things.
Now that the smoke has cleared, we can take a look at what the Tennessee Titans got done during the recently completed NFL Draft. Forget the grades. Forget the crowing from the team. Nobody has ever stepped in front of the media after a draft and said, "We blew it."
In his second draft with the Titans, general manager Jon Robinson showed he's not afraid to roll the dice a little bit. With the fifth pick in the first round, the Titans surprised many and took Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis.
There were a lot of different opinions about who the best receiver was in this draft. Much of that was because Davis was unable to work out during the draft process. He had an ankle injury that required surgery. So all anyone had to go on regarding the Western Michigan receiver was his game tape. It was quite impressive, but what were his measurables?
Robinson didn't care. He saw a downfield threat that could help Marcus Mariota immediately. And he didn't feel Davis would be available with the Titans' second first-round selection, which was 18th overall. So he pulled the trigger and started a wide receiver run that saw Mike Williams and John Ross also go off the board in the first nine picks.
There was still plenty of talent available, so the Davis pick will make or break the draft for the Titans. When you're picking fifth overall, you can't miss on that selection.
Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; USC Trojans defensive back Adoree' Jackson (2) runs against Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver DeAndre Thompkins (3) in the first quarter of the 2017 Rose Bowl game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Outside The Box
If Robinson rolled the dice with Davis, he really went outside the box with his second first-round pick, USC cornerback Adoree' Jackson. With all due respect to Jabrill Peppers, Jackson was the most versatile player in this draft. He returns kicks, ran the ball and caught it at USC, and of course plays corner. The problem is that he's not a finished product as a cornerback. But his athleticism is undeniable.
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He returned four punts and four kicks for touchdowns in three college seasons. That's special. But he's also 5-10, 186 pounds and likely won't ever be anything more than a slot corner on defense. That's okay, because slot corners are on the field 70 or so percent of the time.
There were, however, some other players available, especially at the corner position, who could have lined up immediately as outside corners. In what might have been the deepest corner draft in NFL history, Jackson, the third player taken at the position, will always be compared to the players taken behind him. If the Titans can develop Jackson's defensive potential and capitalize on his physical abilities, that won't be any concern to Robinson and the front office, however.
Robinson couldn't find a trade partner to move back with that pick and acquire a second-round selection, so the Titans had to wait until the third round for another pick.
Mar 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Florida International tight end Jonnu Smith goes through workout drills during the 2017 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
More Offensive Weapons
They grabbed Western Kentucky receiver Taywan Taylor and Florida International tight end Jonnu Smith with picks No. 72 and 100. Both could provide Mariota with immediate downfield weapons along with Davis.
Davis and Taylor immediately upgrade what was perhaps the weakest position on the team. Smith, meanwhile, gives the Titans an eventual replacement for aging Delanie Walker. What's more, he's a player with the frame and physical tools to mold a model under the tutelage — and perhaps in the likeness — of the veteran Walker.
"He's another guy that just kind of fit us from an overall fit standpoint." Robinson said of the Smith selection (via TitanInsider.com).
Tennessee then traded up in the fifth round to get UCLA linebacker Jayon Brown, who will shift from outside linebacker to inside for the Titans. At 6-0, 231 pounds, he's undersized. But in today's NFL, coverage is a must. And Brown can be utilized much the way the Steelers use Ryan Shazier as an every-down linebacker — eventually. For a linebacker corps lacking that type of speed necessary to cover the modern tight end, though, Brown fills a void.
Jul 30, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; General view of a Tennessee Titans helmet during training camp at Saint Thomas Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Closing It Out
Sixth-round pick Corey Levin, a guard from Chattanooga, started at both guard and center in college. He'll give Tennessee some flexibility on game days as a swing interior lineman as he develops behind Quinton Spain and Josh Kline.
Josh Carraway, the first of Tennessee's three seventh-round picks, is a developmental outside linebacker prospect. He had 17 sacks the past two seasons at TCU, so he does know how to get to the quarterback.
Much like Levin, Titans' 7B pick, Brad Seaton of Villanova, is a developmental lineman. But 6-8, 330-pound tackles don't grow on trees. And he's not just a big guy — he's got some athleticism. He's just raw. Seaton will likely get a year on the practice squad, especially since the Titans don't have a pressing need at offensive tackle.
Tennessee's final pick, Khalfani Muhammad, a running back from California, is a 5-8, 175-pound scat back who will battle David Fluellen for the No. 3 spot behind DeMarco Murray and Travis Henry.
Murray and Henry are both bigger backs, so Muhammad gives them a different style of back. He ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at his pro day and is an accomplished pass catcher, but there have been more misses than hits with undersized running backs in the NFL.
Robinson touched on all of Tennessee's needs in this draft and seems to have gotten a couple of nice gems in the middle rounds to go along with two exciting prospects in the first round. We'll see if it works out as well as last year's draft when the Titans landed All-Pro offensive tackle Jack Conklin in the first round.
