HELP WANTED: Titans Top Targets at WR on Day 2 of the NFL Draft
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans will be looking at all options as they try to address wide receiver in the NFL draft this year and most people focus on what they could do in the first round, but if they choose to pass on a receiver in round one, they will have some excellent options available in rounds two and three.
Johnathan Mingo, Ole Miss
Mingo is my perfect fit for the Titans. He has the requisite size needed to play in the Titans run-first offense at 6’1, 220 pounds. This is an incredibly important qualification. The Titans run a ton of two tight end sets which means only two receivers are typically on the field. The Titans don’t get enough value out of some of the slot-only options they could draft this year. Not only does the size check the box, but Mingo’s skillset fits perfectly with what the Titans do as well.
Mingo uses his physicality perfectly to box out defensive backs when he is running in-breaking routes. With how often the Titans run slants and digs and posts, that would be a nice match. Mingo also created a lot of explosives plays during his time at Ole Miss. He had 10 catches of 30 yards or more and two catches of 70 yards or more. With Derrick Henry’s presence creating explosive opportunities via play action, having someone who can capitalize on those chances is key.
Cedric Tillman, Tennessee
Another big body. Tillman stands at 6’3” and 213 pounds. He is a guy who will be an outside receiver, which, in my opinion, is what the Titans actually need. Tillman is a strong player that also knows how to boxout his defender and use his size to win matchups. He’s already good at beating press coverage at the line of scrimmage, something not a lot of receiver are proficient at coming out of college.
No, Tillman isn’t a burner and he isn’t going to bring the yards-after-catch ability the Titans typically like, but he is an aggressive blocker who can get to a good top speed with room to build up to it. The only real issue I see for the Titans is Tillman’s limited route tree. He was mostly asked to get vertical in Tennessee’s offense and may take some time to acclimate to the routes he is asked to run in Nashville.
Rashee Rice, Southern Methodist
First, Rice checks the size box. He is 6’1” and 204 pounds. He will be an outside receiver in the Titans’ system. Rice has unreal catch-point ability. He uses an incredible vertical burst to jump over top of defenders and snag passes out of the air. He knows how to mix speeds within his routes to set up defenders. He is good with the ball in his hands and is a willing blocker as well.
Rice needs that vertical ability though as he finds himself too often in contested catch situation due to a lack of separation in his routes. Rice doesn’t have elite deep speed and some focus issues lead to drops and inconsistent routes. Those are things that could easily be corrected with tough coaching though.
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