Titans Draft Board: Edge Rushers
In preparation for the 2021 NFL Draft, All Titans will take a position-by-position look at prospects who could be of interest to the Tennessee Titans (and available at pick No. 22 or later) and why.
Today: Edge rushers
Overview: The Titans’ defense tied for the third-fewest sacks in the league in 2020 and despite the addition of former Pittsburgh Steelers standout outside linebacker Bud Dupree, pass rush remains a need. Dupree will be a starter opposite of Harold Landry, who has led the Titans in sacks in each of the last two seasons and is now in the final year of his contract. But edge rusher is one of the deeper talent pools in the upcoming draft, which means there will be plenty of opportunities for the Titans to add a valuable player on day one or day two.
Degree of need: Moderately high
RELATED CONTENT
- Titans Draft Board: Cornerbacks
- Titans Draft Board: Wide receivers
- Titans Draft Board: Tackles
- Titans Draft Board: Safeties
- Titans Draft Board: Tight ends
DAY ONE OPTIONS
Azeez Ojulari, Georgia (6-3, 240): If Ojulari falls to No. 22, the Titans will have no excuses for not selecting him. Arguably the best edge rusher in the draft, he consistently disrupted opposing offenses while at Georgia. He led the SEC in both sacks and tackles for a loss of yards in 2020. His strength and quickness will be plenty to quell worries about his size.
Jaelan Phillips, Miami (6-5, 266): Phillips is an interesting prospect because after two seasons at UCLA he decided to retire from football because of injury issues. But he decided to re-start his football career at Miami in 2019. He redshirted that season but came back in 2020 and solidified himself as a first-round talent. In 10 games with the Hurricanes, he registered a career-high seven sacks, 15 1/2 tackles for a loss and 45 total tackles.
Joseph Ossai, Texas (6-4, 253): Opinions vary on Ossai, as some experts believe he will go in the first round, while others believe he’ll fall into the second round. He made plenty of impact plays over the last two seasons at Texas. He led the team in sacks and tackles for a loss this past season in a limited number of games due to COVID-19.
DAY TWO OPTIONS
Carlos Basham Jr., Wake Forest (6-5, 285): Until recently, Basham Jr. was a consensus first-round pick in most, if not all mock drafts and projections. He had – at one point – the longest active streak for consecutive games with a tackle for a loss of yards (23). He had 20.5 career sacks, including 11 as a junior in 2019. He possesses good size and could be a guy teams move throughout the defensive line, including to the interior.
Gregory Rousseau, Miami (6-7, 253): Like Basham Jr., Rousseau is another prospect who has a wide range of projections. He did not play in 2020 (Covid-19 opt-out), but he could have left a more resounding last impression. In 2019, he recorded 19.5 tackles for a loss in addition to 15.5 sacks. That’s the kind of play-making ability that can’t be ignored in the second round.
Patrick Jones, Pittsburgh (6-5, 260): Jones is a player who got better with age over four years at Pittsburgh. He recorded 112 tackles, 32 tackles for a loss of yards and 21.5 career sacks in all, and more than half of that production came over his final two seasons (2019, 2020). He set career highs in sacks (nine) and tackles for a loss (12.5) this past season. He was one of few players AllTitans interviewed as part of virtual Senior Bowl access in January. His position coach with the Panthers was Charlie Partridge, who coached J.J. Watt, one of the NFL’s most elite pass rushers, at Wisconsin.
“Coach Partridge -- he’s a great coach,” Jones told AllTitans. “...We were fortunate enough to get on a Zoom call with J.J. Watt over the summer. We talked to him and asked him questions and stuff, and that was just a great experience. When he was talking about his work ethic, it just showed you how far that can take you.”
DAY THREE OPTIONS
Cameron Sample, Tulane (6-3, 280): Sample is one of the more underrated edge rushers in the draft class. He did not produce the eye-popping statistics that many of the other prospects did, but he’s a borderline day-two prospect because of his versatility. He can move along the defensive line and be a situational player. His stock rose significantly at the Reese’s Senior Bowl this past winter. He won Defensive MVP after recording a game-high seven tackles along with a half-sack and half tackle for a loss of yards.
Shaka Toney, Penn State (6-3, 252): He’s a late-round option who could compete for playing time right away. Toney tallied five career games with two or more sacks and seven games with two or more tackles for a loss. He finished his Penn State career with 20.5 sacks, which is eighth all-time in program history, and he did not become a full-time starter until 2019.
