The Tennessee Titans added six rookies to their roster in the 2020 NFL Draft to help fill some holes the team had coming into the offseason.
For the most part, general manager Jon Robinson was praised for his selections, as he added several young players with intriguing skill sets.
Let’s go out on a limb and make one bold prediction for each of Robinson’s 2020 draft picks.
Isaiah Wilson won’t make any starts in 2020
The biggest knock on Titans first-round pick Isaiah Wilson was that he left college too early and could have used another year to develop his game, as ESPN’s Mel Kiper revealed following the draft.
That makes two Georgia offensive tackles in Round 1 here, and there has been some buzz around Wilson over the last few weeks. At 6-foot-6, 350 pounds, Wilson is massive, but he’s going to need some time to clean up his technique before he can start in the NFL. I actually thought he could have been a top-15 pick if he had returned to school for another year and entered the 2021 draft. There is some upside with Wilson, who started at right tackle over the last two seasons, but he’s raw. Yes, Tennessee has a hole at right tackle with Jack Conklin gone, but I don’t see Wilson as an immediate starter.
If Wilson is as raw as Kiper believes, it might take some time for the Titans’ coaching staff to develop him further. It also won’t help that rookie mini-camps are being done virtually as opposed to on the practice field.
But the Titans don’t need to rush Wilson into action with veteran Dennis Kelly already on the roster. He has proven to be a quality starter at right tackle during his career after playing well in place of Jack Conklin in 2018.
There is simply too much riding on this 2020 season for the Titans to trust a rookie on the right side who isn’t polished in pass protection, which will lead to Wilson spending his rookie campaign on the bench.
Kristian Fulton will seize slot CB role
The Titans have a number of options to try out at slot cornerback now that Logan Ryan is gone, including second-round pick Kristian Fulton, seventh-round pick Chris Jackson, 2019 fourth-round pick Amani Hooker or veteran Adoree’ Jackson.
The only problem with using Jackson on the inside is that he’s much too important on the boundary, so I don’t expect to see that happen often, if at all.
Despite a lack of experience, Fulton’s physical traits and experience playing against high-end competition in the SEC are going to give him a big leg up. The USC product has the speed the Titans are looking for in the slot and he has excelled in both man and zone coverage.
Even before drafting him, the Titans pegged Fulton as a guy who could play on the inside, as one of the first questions they asked him in the pre-draft process was about playing there.
The deck is going to be stacked against all rookies thanks to the restrictions the coronavirus pandemic has on this offseason, but Fulton is as pro-ready as any corner coming out of college this year.
Not to mention, he doesn’t exactly have seasoned veterans battling with him to be the main man on the inside. Look for the rookie to dominate snaps at slot cornerback in 2020.
Darrynton Evans will average double-digit touches
Part of the reason Derrick Henry led the NFL in carries last season was because the guy behind him, Dion Lewis, was simply ineffective whenever the ball was in his hands.
The team’s third-round pick, Darrynton Evans, should have more success thanks to having a more complete skill set as a runner and pass-catcher, on top of his ability to make things happen thanks to his explosive speed.
At the very least, Evans should see plenty of opportunities on the ground in a run-heavy offense, but the Titans might also look to lessen Henry’s workload a bit over the course of the season in order to not burn him out.
Adding to that, Henry has proven to be shaky as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, which opens up work in the passing game for Evans, who flashed his ability as a pass-catcher during his time at Appalachian State.
As a result of these factors, Evans will average double-digit touches per game, a far cry from the kind of involvement Lewis saw in 2019.
Larrell Murchison will earn significant snaps
Over the course of the history of the NFL, there have been players who weren’t necessarily the most talented or physically gifted guys on the field, but their effort overshadowed that and led to successful careers.
Titans fifth-round pick Larrell Murchison could be that kind of guy. The biggest positive for the NC State product coming out of college was that he has a non-stop motor and never takes a play off.
That kind of effort helps make him a disruptive force and a solid pass-rusher on the inside, despite not having ideal size. And, if there’s one thing the Titans could use from their defensive line, it’s getting more pressure on the quarterback.
If you think Murchison was motivated enough to have that kind of motor in college, just wait until he’s tasked with becoming an impact player in the NFL. The rookie might not become a starter, but his effort will force head coach Mike Vrabel to give him significant snaps in his first season.
Cole McDonald will win backup QB job
It wouldn’t shock me to see the Titans add a veteran backup quarterback option at some point before training camp, but for now we have to assume the competition for the spot behind Ryan Tannehill will be between Logan Woodside and seventh-round pick, Cole McDonald.
Neither quarterback has any NFL experience. McDonald is a rookie and Woodside has never taken a regular-season snap, so there’s really no telling how either player would perform in an NFL game.
However, McDonald brings so much more to the table than Woodside with his athleticism and big arm, and more closely mirrors Tannehill’s skill set, giving the Titans some continuity on offense if Tannehill does get hurt.
McDonald’s physical traits are going to shine in the preseason, leading to him winning the backup job over Woodside, who will then get cut when the 53-man rosters are finalized.
In the event that the Titans do bring in a veteran No. 2, McDonald will still beat out Woodside to make the roster and will spend the 2020 campaign as the team’s No. 3 quarterback.
Chris Jackson will make 53-man roster
There is no guarantee that a seventh-round pick will make a team’s 53-man roster, but Chris Jackson has as good a shot as any to do so thanks to his versatility.
Jackson played primarily at cornerback in college, but he has the ability to play at safety as well. Spending time on special teams at Marshall helps Jackson offer even more.
And, with the Titans putting an emphasis on speed in their secondary this offseason, Jackson fits what the team is looking for.
As far as reserve players in the secondary go, the Titans have plenty of guys they are more familiar with than Jackson, but his intriguing skill set and ability to help out in different areas is going to force Tennessee to have to cut one of those trusted players to make room for Jackson on the roster.
