Draft Picks Did Not Deliver Much Impact
It can’t be labeled at a failure. Yet.
But it can be said that the Tennessee Titans’ 2020 draft class underwhelmed.
The Titans drafted six players last April. One of them, first-round selection Isiah Wilson, made more headlines for his questionable decisions off the field than for anything he accomplished on it. Another player didn’t make it very far into training camp in the summer before being cut. The four others contributed to the team in the regular season, but all sustained injuries that stunted their progress at some point.
And then, of course, the 2020 season will go down as one unlike any other. Rookies didn’t have the luxury of getting their feet wet with in-person offseason programs. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, OTAs and mini-camp programs had to be conducted virtually -- an obvious obstacle for newcomers who had to acclimate themselves with new teammates, coaches, playbooks and more over phone calls and Zoom meetings.
Coach Mike Vrabel and staff tried to put rookies in the best possible position, but he admitted that rookies were put at a disadvantage with an unusual offseason. Routines could not be built in a way that they normally would be, he explained.
“I feel like we [normally] put our guys, our young players, in a great position in the offseason,” he said. “We try to structure their day in May and in June the same way that we would in September and October so that they're coming in early. They’re building a routine – a functioning routine – of coming in early, working out, getting treatment, having breakfast, going to a meeting at the same time that we would start our team meeting in the season, going to position meetings, going out onto the field in some capacity, having lunch, and then going back in for meetings afterwards.
“I think that builds a positive routine for these guys. And for them not to have that I think probably hurts, and then the injuries certainly set some of those players back.”
A rundown of how the Titans' draft class performed this season:
Isaiah Wilson, tackle (first round): Expected to compete with veteran Dennis Kelly to be the starter at right tackle, the 6-foot-6, 351-pounder logged four total snaps this season. He constantly disappointed the team with his actions off of the field and it’s uncertain what his future holds because of them. The 29th overall pick finished the season on the Reserve – Non-Football Illness list in order to deal with what the team characterized as “personal issues”.
He was removed from the active roster for the final team on Dec. 9, days after he served a one-game suspension for a violation of team policy. That followed two stints on the COVID-19 reserve list (one of which lasted more than a month), a drunk driving arrest and being caught at an off-campus party at Tennessee State University. Police issued him a trespass warning, while other partygoers received drug, curfew and runaway violations.
Kristian Fulton, cornerback (second round): Fulton will probably look back at his rookie season as one that could have been special if it weren’t for a knee injury that threw off his progress. After a Week 7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Titans placed Fulton on injured reserve and he stayed there until Dec. 15.
In all, Fulton played in six games and started two of them. He showed promise when healthy, recording 16 total tackles, one tackle for a loss, a sack and an interception in the Titans’ Week 2 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played six defensive snaps in the season-ending loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
The LSU product has a lot of upside and is a versatile weapon considering he can play both slot and outside cornerback.
Darrynton Evans, running back (third round): His play-making ability was highly anticipated, but he too had the misfortune of injuries. Evans (pictured) missed 11 games due to groin and hamstring injuries.
That does not mean his potential was not on display, though. In the Titans’ Week 15 victory over the Detroit Lions, all of the things that make up Evans’ skillset -- explosiveness, speed, his ability to evade defenders -- were on display. He totaled 57 yards from scrimmage. On 12 carries, he gained 30 yards, caught two passes on two targets for 27 yards and scored his first career touchdown on a three-yard pass in the fourth quarter. He also returned two kickoffs for 45 yards.
He played six games in all in 2020. If he can stay healthy, he can be a nice compliment to Derrick Henry in the backfield. He also had opportunities this season to return kickoffs, which could be a big part of his role going forward.
Larrell Murchison, defensive tackle (fifth round): It remains to be seen what Murchison can really do for the Titans.
The 6-foot-3, 291-pounder played in 10 games and made five tackles and one tackle for a loss. He did not register a sack. He missed the Titans’ Week 11 and 12 contests with a rib injury and then lost time to undrafted rookie Teair Tart, who replaced him. Murchison was behind Jeffery Simmons and veteran DaQuan Jones on the depth chart.
Next season will be an important one for Murchison, who led North Carolina State with 7.5 sacks as a senior (2019), particularly since Jones is set to become a free agent.
Cole McDonald, quarterback (seventh round): His time with the Titans was brief. The former University of Hawaii standout was cut weeks into training camp and has yet to get a chance with another franchise.
Chris Jackson, defensive back (seventh round): At one time, Jackson was the most productive rookie in the Titans’ 2020 draft class. However, a hamstring injury early in the season and a stint on the COVID-19 reserve list late caused him to miss time. He also was inactive for the final regular season game against Houston and on Sunday against the Ravens due to Fulton’s return.
Jackson, out of Marshall, appeared in 11 games this season and started three of them. He tallied 24 tackles, one tackle for a loss of yards and one pass break-up. He also was a valuable performer on special teams, which will serve him well in his quest to stick around for several years.
