The Tennessee Titans added an intriguing rookie to their quarterback room this offseason after selecting Cole McDonald in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
What makes McDonald intriguing is his skill set. The Hawaii product brings great size (6-foot-3, 215 pounds), arm strength and athleticism with him to the NFL.
On the flip side of that, he also needs a lot of work, which is to be expected from a late-round quarterback selection.
McDonald’s impressive skill set isn’t lost on head coach Mike Vrabel, who spoke about what the rookie brings to the table after Friday’s practice, while also noting that he needs more development and to become more familiar with the Titans’ system.
Unfortunately for McDonald, picking up a playbook and furthering development is about as hard as it has ever been for a rookie in 2020.
Not only did McDonald not have the benefit of OTAs or mini-camp, he also won’t be able to participate in any preseason games, which really would have been his chance to shine.
McDonald looks to have at least improved his throwing motion based on this clip, but it seems he’s having trouble putting it into practice thus far, as Emily Proud of WKRN in Nashville explained.
If we’re setting realistic expectations for McDonald at this point, he’ll likely be the No. 3 quarterback at best, and at worst he’ll end up on the practice squad.
Granted, he does have more upside than his competition for the backup job, Logan Woodside, but the Toledo product has a distinct advantage based on his knowledge of the team’s offense.
If McDonald does indeed end up on the practice squad, he should definitely be one of the four players the team can protect. There is simply too much upside here for Tennessee not to.
