For a team like the Tennessee Titans, holding two first round draft picks, could be the key to put them over the playoff hump. If they had any other head coach other Mike Mularkey, I might even say it absolutely should. As it is, Mularkey is the millstone slung across the neck of one of the most exciting, young teams in the league.
On the bright side for Titans fans, the entire coaching landscape of the AFC South is a complete shitshow. If Bill O’Brien can get a team to the playoffs, anyone can. The Titans went 9-7 last year and lost a couple of games specifically because of Mularkey’s horrible coaching. Maybe a few key players can make up for that this season.
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Round 1, Pick 5 (from Los Angeles Rams): Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
2016: 41 tackles, nine passes defended, four interceptions, one defensive touchdown
The Titans added Logan Ryans in this free agency period, but need an upgrade on the other side to match him. Lattimore is atop a deep corner class in this draft and adds a playmaker and ballhawk with the speed to keep up with some fleet wideouts in the AFC South.
Round 1, Pick 18: John Ross, WR, Washington
2016: 81 catches, 1,150 yards, 17 touchdowns, eight rushes, 102 yards, one touchdown
Ross, the minute his cleats hit the field, will be the fastest player (as far as we can tell) in the history of the NFL. But Ross isn’t just bringing speed to the table. He’s a playmaker with hands who can run the full NFL route tree and be a complete receiver. Which will be enough to make every corner he faces shit his pants in the film room before the game.
Round 3, Pick 83: Montravius Adams, DT, Auburn
2016: 43 tackles, eight for a loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two passes defended, one interception
The Titans’ defense line was absolutely worthless last season and they need upgrades across all three spots. Adams presents the best value here in the third round. He has the size needed to eat up blockers and free up the linebackers in Dick Lebeau’s 3-4 as well as rush the passer over the nose or on the outside.
Round 3, Pick 100: Demarcus Walker, DE, Florida State
2016: 67 tackles, 19.5 for a loss, 16 sacks, two passes defended, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries
It’s insane that Walker has a third round grade, but here we are. He steps in right next to Adams as a day-one starter for the Titans and upgrades their pass rush by about 300 percent as soon as he puts his hand in the dirt.
Round 4, Pick 124: Anthony Walker, Jr., ILB, Northwestern
2016: 105 tackles, 10 for a loss, two sacks, five passes defended, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one interception
The Titans are set at outside linebacker with Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan. On the inside, Avery Williams is a secret star not a lot of people outside Tennessee know about. But Williams can’t do all the work between the hashes on his own. Walker is an immediate upgrade and adds a fellow 100-tackle machine to an already elite linebacking corps.
Round 5, Pick 164: Ben Braden, OG, Michigan
Over the last few drafts the Titans have quietly put together one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, with first round offensive tackles Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin both being worth the pick. The problem, as always, is depth and Braden fixes that immediately with the ability to start if called into service.
Round 6, Pick 214: Michael Roberts, TE, Toledo
2016: 45 catches, 533 yards, 16 touchdowns
That’s not a type-o, Roberts is a touchdown machine in the red zone and at 6-6 and 270 pounds, he’s a monster target. The Titans already have one of the best tight ends in the league, Delanie Walker, on the roster but the drop-off behind him is a chasm. Roberts can not only be a weapon in the passing game, he has the sheer size and power to block the edge and push downfield in the run game.
Round 7, Pick 236: Jordan Sterns, Safety, Oklahoma State
2016: 101 tackles, 5.5 for a loss, five passes defended, three interceptions
The Titans have already tried to upgrade their safety position by signing free agent Johnathan Cyprien. Nabbing Sterns here in the seventh round is downright larcenous. He’s 6-0 and 200 pounds, has recorded more than 101 tackles for three straight seasons and still has a seventh-round grade? I don’t get it.
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