Titans Take Georgia Tackle Isaiah Wilson
NASHVILLE – Dennis Kelly might finally be the starter at right tackle. But his days are numbered.
The Tennessee Titans selected Georgia tackle Isaiah Wilson with their first-round pick (No. 29) in the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday.
"(He) and Dennis will battle it out," general manager Jon Robinson said. "He's got some things he needs to work on but [we] really, really like the upside of this guy."
At 6-foot-7, 340 pounds, Wilson is a massive human who fits the mold of the classic right tackle in the NFL. Most analysts believe he needs time to refine his game, which likely means Kelly, in line to be a starter serving as a role player for most of his eight-year career, could hold the job for a year at best.
But Wilson is more accurately the replacement for Jack Conklin, a first-round pick in 2016 who started at right tackle for the past four years. Conklin signed a free agent deal with Cleveland last month.
Robinson said early in the week that he was willing to trade the pick and did not think it would be a big deal if he did not make a selection in the first round. Ultimately, though, he stood pat for the third time in four years. He did the same in 2017 when he took wide receiver Corey Davis at No. 5 and cornerback Adoreé Jackson at No. 18, and last year when he got defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons at No. 19.
"I'm just happy to be part of the family," Wilson said. "I'm ready to roll. ... I just felt like I got along well with coach [Mike] Vrabel and a lot of other people on the staff. And I just want to be part of the culture there."
Right tackle has been one of the most discussed positions on the Titans’ roster since the first day of the free agent negotiating period when Conklin agreed to terms with Cleveland.
Later that day, Tennessee gave long-time backup Dennis Kelly a new contract that effectively made him the starter. Ty Sambrailo, a free agent from Atlanta, was added days after that to fill Kelly’s role. Plus, David Quessenberry who split time between the active roster and practice squad in 2019, is under contract as well.
A long-term solution, however, remained a necessity. Enter Wilson.
He spent three years in college and played two after having redshirted in 2017. He was named Freshman All-America by the Football Writers Association of America in 2018 and second-team All-SEC in 2019.
Before long he will take up residence on the right side of the Titans' offensive line.
"We felt like we came away with a really good football player," Robinson said. "A guy that fits us. A guy that we had kind of circled and targeted."
