Titans Big Board: Cornerbacks
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 the pick No. 22 or later) and why.
Today: Cornerbacks
Overview: No position group has been overhauled more this offseason. Salary cap considerations led to two starters, Malcolm Butler and Adoreé Jackson, being cut. Tennessee selected two cornerbacks in last year’s draft, Kristian Fulton (second round) and Chris Jackson (seventh round), and signed veterans Janoris Jenkins and Kevin Johnson in free agency this year. Long-term, the position is far from settled.
Degree of need: Extremely high.
DAY ONE POSSIBILITIES
(First round)
Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech (6-2, 197) – Based on his talent, there is no way he should be available when the Titans pick at No. 22. However, back surgery late last month could cause him to drop and potentially could give the Titans a chance to do what they did two years earlier with Jeffery Simmons, only in this case the belief is that Farley should be ready to go at the start of training camp.
Greg Newsome, Northwestern (6-0, 192) – Jon Robinson likes players who were consistently productive throughout college. Newsome played just 21 games in three seasons but started 18 of them and led his team in pass breakups each of the last two years. He is a well-rounded cornerback who has Pro Bowl potential.
DAY TWO POSSIBILITIES
(Second, third rounds)
Tyson Campbell, Georgia (6-2, 185) – He is a supreme physical talent who was a three-year starter in college after being one of the nation’s top-ranked cornerbacks as a high school senior. He likely won’t last long on the second day, so it might require a trade to go get him.
Eric Stokes, Georgia (6-1, 185) – An elite sprinter in high school, he could be an attempt to replace Adoreé Jackson, although his tackling still leaves something to be desired. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns last season.
Bryan Mills, North Carolina Central (6-1, 180) – He is a bit of a project because he only played one season at NC Central after one season each at two junior colleges. He does have the size, ability and mentality to be a good man-to-man cornerback in the NFL.
DAY THREE POSSIBILITIES
(Fourth-seventh rounds)
Benjamin St-Juste, Minnesota (6-0, 202) – He has better-than-average size at the position is well-suited to play man-to-man coverage and is competitive when the ball arrives.
Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State (5-10, 180) – His father played first five NFL seasons with the New England Patriots, four of them when the Titans’ GM was in that team’s scouting department. Samuel Jr. likely will have to start his career as a slot cornerback and eventually prove he can be an every-down guy.
Marco Wilson, Florida (6-0, 190) – A three-year starter at Florida (he is one of true freshmen to start at cornerback for the Gators), he has plenty of physical tools but has not put them all together often enough. Perhaps most intriguing to the Titans is that he is a deft blitzer.
