Daily Mock Draft: Best Player Available
The negotiating period for free agency is still a week away, and signings won’t begin until two days after that.
Whatever plays out during that critical portion of the NFL’s offseason calendar will have a direct impact on what teams decide to do in the 2020 NFL Draft.
To help pass the time until then, we will serve up a daily mock draft with help from TheDraftNetwork.com’s rankings and mock draft program. Each will have a different theme, but when all is said and done, they should provide a little more insight into what might be available to the Tennessee Titans in this year’s draft.
Today: Best player available.
The scenario is simple. No thinking involved. When it was the Titans’ turn to select, we simply went with the highest-ranked player still available. The result was an offense-heavy group that failed to address arguably the team’s biggest need, an edge rusher. But that is the way it went.
THE RESULTS
First round (29 overall): Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin
Second round (61 overall): Cam Akers, RB, Florida State
Third round (93 overall): Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State
Fifth round (156 overall): Hakeem Adeniji, T, Kansas
Sixth round (188 overall): Isaiah Hodgins, WR, Oregon State
Seventh round (213 overall): Tyrie Cleveland, WR, Florida
Seventh round (220 overall): Lynn Bowden, WR, Kentucky
Thoughts: Of course, the Titans are not going to select running backs with their first two picks or wide receivers with their last three. However, it probably is time to draft a running back to develop behind Derrick Henry. Taylor (5-11, 219), like Henry, was ridiculously productive in high school and in college, and likely could benefit it he is lightly used as a rookie while Henry shoulders the load as was the case when Henry was DeMarco Murray’s backup in 2016.
If Logan Ryan and Jack Conklin leave in free agency, Arnette and Adeniji, respectively, are the kinds of players the Titans would take to replace them. Arnette (6-0, 195) actually would be a worthwhile pick in the second round, where Akers fell in this draft, based on his competitiveness and ball skills. Adeniji (6-4, 302) has some holes in his game, but he is the kind of player Jon Robinson likes in that he started every game for Kansas over the past four years.
Every draft analyst on the plant acknowledges that this year’s class is silly with quality wide receivers. It makes sense, therefore, that three would be the highest rated player still available in the later rounds. Of these three, Hodgins (6-4, 209) was the most productive in college – and his numbers increased every year – while Cleveland (6-3, 205) might be the best fit for Tennessee given the fact that he is a deep threat who also is a willing and capable run blocker.
Bottom line: Assuming the Titans hang on to Henry, Taylor is not an obvious first-round pick. But then, Henry was not an obvious choice when the Titans took him in the second round in 2016. Cornerback and tackle are two positions that could use a youngster. Most teams will gather a wide receiver or two on the third day because they will be just too good to pass up at this point.
Replace Akers (5-11, 212) and at least one of the wide receivers with defensive players and you would have a respectable draft class.
