Rising RB Must Make Titans Draft Radar

Most of the Tennessee Titans-related noise around both the NFL Combine and Draft has come connected in the form of growing reported interest around Jeremiyah Love. While the Titans were initially widely seen as surefire to select defense with their fourth overall pick, trading for EDGE Jermaine Johnson quieted some of those score-stopping needs.

Love, a high-scoring rusher out of Notre Dame, posted impressive metrics at the combine both on the ground and as a pass-catcher. Tennessee's newfound notice of the back makes sense within the structure of offensive coordinator Brian Daboll's takeover, as well as alongside franchise quarterback Cam Ward.

Yet if Tennessee wants to have their cake and eat it too, the team may be able to swing on defense with their top pick and, subsequently, improve their backfield with a name around who the draft noise is getting progressively louder. This is where Mike Washington Jr. comes onto the scene.

The Biggest Riser Post-Combine

Washington is "perhaps the biggest combine riser in dynasty circles," according to Ben Cooper, having "obliterated the testing drills with a 99th-percentile 40-yard dash (4.33 seconds), a 92nd-percentile vertical (39 inches) and a 95th-percentile broad jump (10 feet, 8 inches)."

Cooper's outlook is drawn to long-term fantasy eligibility but, on a larger scale, Washington's outlandish metrics in essentially every facet are bound to improve his standing on any given draft board. If his performance is any indication, Washington won't be considered a late-draft grab for long.

Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. (RB20) | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

And as he begins that inevitable climb and franchises start to take notice, the Titans should absolutely be among those giving the Arkansas Razorbacks back serious consideration.

In spite of his turnover struggles on the collegiate level (seven fumbles over the past two seasons), Washington has the potential to bolster the Titans' backfield at a lesser cost than the aforementioned Love.

Striking a Beneficial Balance

This isn't to say that the Titans wouldn't see a positive turnout from taking Love with their No. 4 pick; in fact, according to all available information, they almost certainly would.

But if head coach Robert Saleh and his surrounding staff want to take a more balanced approach to their incoming class of rookies, opting for Washington a little further down the line may strike that beneficial balance.

Though not as patently explosive as Love, Washington has clearly demonstrated the same tools that, in time, could lead him to adopt a similarly impactful role in Nashville for the long haul.

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