Going into the 2020 NFL Draft, there were a number of prospects from different positions that Tennessee Titans fans had their hearts set on.
As is typically the case, the draft doesn’t go exactly according to plan, as was evidenced by the Titans taking right tackle Isaiah Wilson in the first round, which was a surprise to many.
After all the dust had settled, Tennessee did end up getting some of the players fans coveted, but where exactly did the rest go?
Here’s a look at where some of those fan favorites landed.
Jeff Gladney | CB | TCU
There were few players in this year’s draft who were as unanimously loved by Titans fans as Gladney. Interestingly enough, the Titans had a chance to land the corner with the No. 29 overall pick, however general manager Jon Robinson decided to go with right tackle Isaiah Wilson instead. Gladney would get picked ttwo spots later by the Minnesota Vikings.
Marlon Davidson | EDGE/DL | Auburn
Because of his ability to fill multiple needs and the kind of motor he plays with, Davidson was a rock star like Gladney and a first-round target of many fans. Davidson was also on the board at the end of the first round for the Titans, but was passed up in favor of Wilson. Davidson ended up going in the second round to the Atlanta Falcons (No. 47 overall).
Jaylon Johnson | CB | Utah
Another on the list of cornerbacks Titans fans wanted was Jaylon Johnson, who was always a fringe first-round pick candidate, but more likely than not was thought to be a second-round talent. And that’s exactly where he went, as the Chicago Bears were able to scoop him up with the No. 50 overall selection.
Amik Robertson | CB | Louisiana Tech
A third cornerback making this list is Amik Robertson, who was pegged by many as a potential slot corner of the future for the Titans. It was even thought Robertson could be one of two corners the team would take.
Robertson was available for the Titans to take late in the third round, but the team opted to roll with Appalachian State running back Darrynton Evans instead. Robertson would eventually go to the Las Vegas Raiders in the fourth round (No.139), which in my opinion was a steal.
Justin Madubuike | DT | Texas A&M
There was clear interest in Justin Madubuike on the Titans’ part, and fans who pegged the Texas A&M product as a possible solution to the team’s defensive line need felt the same. In the end, the Titans addressed their need in the fifth round and Madubuike would go on to get drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round (No. 71 overall).
Rodrigo Blankenship | K | Georgia
With the Titans desperately needing to improve their kicker situation after a disastrous 2019 season, fans were hot and heavy for Rodrigo Blankenship in the seventh round. He would have been the first kicker taken by the franchise in a draft since 1992.
However, that wasn’t in the cards and instead Blankenship went undrafted and was eventually signed by the Titans’ division rival, the Indianapolis Colts, as an undrafted free agent. Tennessee signed its own UDFA kicker in Missouri’s Tucker McCann.
Tee Higgins | WR | Clemson
Entering the draft, it was possible that the Titans would look to add a receiver with the team’s need for a burner and with the uncertain future of Corey Davis.
Tee Higgins was a target of many fans in either the first or second round, but Tennessee ended up not addressing the position at all and Higgins was taken by the Cincinnati Bengals at the top of the second round (No. 33 overall).
Lucas Niang | OT | TCU
There were many fans and experts out there who thought the Titans might wait to take a right tackle until the second round or later.
Leading into the draft, Lucas Niang was one of the most talked about potential targets for Tennessee on Day 2, but it wasn’t meant to be. The Titans took a tackle in the first round and Niang landed with the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round (No. 96 overall).
Clyde Edwards-Helaire | RB | LSU
At one point it was thought that Clyde Edwards-Helaire would be a Titans target in the second or third round, as he was a perfect fit thanks to his versatility as a runner and pass-catcher. Instead, he ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the draft, as he was the first running back taken off the board by the Chiefs in the first round (No. 32 overall).
Antonio Gibson | RB | Memphis
Like Edwards-Helaire, Antonio Gibson’s versatility and ability to play wide receiver and running back made him a popular potential pick among Titans fans.
Gibson was one of the bigger wild cards of the draft, with experts mocking him anywhere between the third and fifth rounds. The questions about where Gibson would go ended when the Washington Redskins scooped him up in the third round (No. 66 overall).
Yetur Gross-Matos | EDGE | Penn State
No EDGE in the 2020 NFL Draft was mocked to the Titans at No. 29 overall more than Yetur Gross-Matos was. As it turned out, the Titans didn’t add a single EDGE with any of their six picks and Gross-Matos is now a member of the Carolina Panthers, who took him in the second round (No. 38 overall).
Ke’Shawn Vaughn | RB | Vanderbilt
An in-state option, fans loved the explosiveness and overall talent that Ke’Shawn Vaughn brought to the table. While it was thought that Vaughn could perhaps be an option for the Titans on Day 3 of the draft, he ended up being one of the bigger surprises after being taken early in the third round (No. 76 overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Ross Blacklock | DT | TCU
There was a lot of love for TCU prospects from Titans fans leading into the draft, and Ross Blacklock is another one you can include on the list. Blacklock was a fan favorite to go to the Titans in either the first or second round, but his fate was to be with the division rival Houston Texans, who took him in the second round (No. 40 overall).
