Titans Join Pursuit of Popular LB Before Draft

Far more often than not, a team's top-level pick(s) in the NFL Draft will overshadow their later selections to an eclipsed extent. No matter how some players turn out, the boom/bust status of a firsrt-rounder (especially in the Top 10) is the first thing to hit headlines as young athletes develop. For the Tennessee Titans, even prior to this year's event, that has certainly been the case.

Holding the fourth overall pick this time around, fans have thrown countless hats into the ring in regard to who the Titans could ultimately end up taking. Arguments for offensive and defensive choices have surged on both sides, and even analysts have begun to chime in on the apparently all-important grab for Tennessee.

Yet, given their rebuilding status and handful of picks throughout the incoming draft, the Titans' quest for quality depth carries a far understated significance in comparison. To that end, according to Justin Melo, Tennessee is one of many teams to make contact with linebacker Khalil Jacobs.

One of Many Suitors

Jacobs, a high-ceiling prospect with plenty of room to grow, has reportedly been tapped into more than 15 teams prior to his landing in one spot. Of course, the Titans are among that fray, hunting for defensive strength as Robert Saleh works to situate a unit that he'll call plays for.

At the LB position specifically, the Titans have generated very little movement this offseason; especially compared to other aspect of the defense, it's been nearly silent. It could be the case that, all along, Saleh and his staff were aiming to address that position by way of a rookie.

Missouri Tigers linebacker Khalil Jacobs (5) | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Jacobs not only presents the alluring prospect of a later-round pick (preserving the team's aforementioned top selection), but his three-sack, 47-tackle season with the Missouri Tigers suggests his professional efficiency may not be far off.

He's the sort of project a good coach would love to invest in, and the Titans have exactly that.

An Investment Opportunity

In the event that Tennessee is the last franchise standing among what is essentially half of the league making calls for Jacobs, he'd enter a unit poised for destruction. With Jeffery Simmons continuing to serve as an anchor, new additions John Franklin-Myers, Cordale Flott, and others are set to undergird an explosive bunch with the proper experience to balance things out.

Jacobs being thrown into the mix would be crucial for the LB's development; in time, he has the apparent pieces himself to transform into an impactful part of the Titans' freshly redone defense.

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