When the Tennessee Titans selected Georgia right tackle Isaiah Wilson in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the move naturally created some winners and losers.
Here’s a look at who benefited, and who didn’t, as a result of the pick.
Winner: Isaiah Wilson
This is an easy one.
Wilson’s dream has come true and he is now in the NFL as a member of the Titans. He’ll also have a chance to compete for a starting job right away, as general manager Jon Robinson revealed.
Wilson’s also in the right situation, as being physical is his favorite part of the game and there are few teams who play a more physical style than the Titans.
Loser: Dennis Kelly
Going into the draft, it was thought the Titans might not use a first-round pick on a tackle because of the presence of Dennis Kelly as the team’s starter at right tackle for 2020. After all, Kelly was just inked to a three-year deal this offseason.
However, the Titans decided to use their first-round pick on Wilson, which doesn’t show much confidence in the long-term viability of Kelly. In fact, Robinson came right out and said Kelly will have to compete with Wilson.
That should give Kelly plenty of motivation in training camp when he tries to ward off the rookie to stay atop the depth chart. I wouldn’t count out the 30-year-old just yet, either.
Winner: Derrick Henry
Perhaps the biggest strength Wilson shows is his ability to block for the run thanks to his brute strength, which obviously is a plus for Derrick Henry.
This is a big man (6-foot-6, 350 pounds) who can be a road grader at the next level. If his potential gets realized, opposing defenders will have one hell of a time trying to get through Wilson, only to be rewarded if they do so by having to tackle a physical specimen like Henry.
This also shows the Titans are committed to maintaining the kind of stellar offensive line the team had in 2019 in order to keep their offensive identity — a run-first approach — intact.
Loser: Titans’ defense
While there are no doubt some positives to the Wilson pick, it’s certainly fair to say there are more negatives.
Yes, the Titans could use a right tackle for the future, but there were bigger needs for the Titans to fill right now on the defensive side of the ball, like at cornerback, for example.
And, the Titans had cornerbacks like TCU’s Jeff Gladney and LSU’s Kristian Fulton both staring them in the face at No. 29. But instead of going with versatile defenders who can make their defense better right now by filling the need in the slot in 2020, the Titans went with Wilson.
Even a player like Auburn defensive lineman/EDGE Marlon Davidson would have made more sense in that spot after the trade of Jurrell Casey and with the potential future departure of DaQuan Jones, who is a free agent in 2021.
It’s likely Tennessee will focus on adding a corner at the end of the second round, however it’s unlikely the players available will be as good as those the team passed on at No. 29 overall.
