Robinson's Best Drafting Has Come After Day One

The NFL Draft – or any professional sports draft, for that matter – can be a tale of hit or miss, boom or bust.

Jon Robinson has an imperfect ledger when it comes to first-round selections. The Tennessee Titans general manager since 2016, he faced the brunt of the criticism for selecting Isaiah Wilson at No. 29 in last year’s draft. The offensive lineman’s bothersome off-field behavior ultimately resulted in Robinson dealing him to the Dolphins, who have since cut him, in March.

Factor in that none of his first-round selections have played more than four seasons for the Titans so far, and it gets even murkier.

While Robinson’s Day One luck has not been as good as many presumably would have liked, he has made his share of quality, value picks on the second and third days. Of the 35 players he’s selected in rounds two through seven, eight of them have been, are or will be starters this season.

A rundown of Robinson’s most notable successes on Days Two and Three of the NFL Draft:

2016

• Derrick Henry, running back, Alabama (second round): The Titans selected Henry with the No. 45 overall pick. He was primarily an understudy to DeMarco Murray in his first two seasons but has been arguably the NFL’s best running backs ever since late in 2018. He has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the last three seasons, has won the rushing title in consecutive seasons and became the eighth member of the elite 2,000-yard club this past season when he ran for 2,027 yards, the fifth-highest total in NFL history. He already ranks fourth in franchise history with 5,860 rushing yards. And those are only a few of his accomplishments.

• Kevin Byard, safety, Middle Tennessee State (third round): He has been a Pro Bowler and All-Pro and made an immediate impact as a professional. From 2017 through 2019, Byard led the league with 17 interceptions. He has topped the Titans in each of the last three seasons, and his eight in 2017 tied for the league lead and were the most by any Titans/Oilers player in a single season since.

2017

• Jonnu Smith, tight end, Florida Atlantic (third round): Smith spent four NFL years with the Titans before signing with the New England Patriots this offseason. His production increased each season, and in 2020 he set a franchise record for touchdown receptions by a tight end with eight (he also scored one rushing) and tied for third among all NFL tight ends in total touchdowns.

• Jayon Brown, linebacker, UCLA (fifth round): The Titans selected Brown with the 155th pick, and he has been a full-time starter for nearly two seasons. He’s recorded 96 tackles or more in two seasons with at least one interception in each of the last three. He was not expected to resign with the Titans this offseason but ended up doing so on a one-year deal.

2018

• Harold Landry, outside linebacker, Boston College (second round): Landry has led the Titans in sacks in each of the last two seasons. He had a career-high nine in 2019 and tacked on five more this past season. He also has been a workhorse who was on the field for 86 percent of the defensive snaps in 2019 and 94 percent in 2020. The addition of free agent Bud Dupree should lighten his load yet give him a chance to increase his production.

2019

• A.J. Brown, wide receiver, Ole Miss (second round): As much as any of Robinson’s draft picks, Brown hit the ground running when he entered the NFL. A 2020 Pro Bowler, he has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two NFL seasons and has 19 touchdown receptions, the fifth-most in the NFL over the last two seasons. Of all wide receivers drafted in 2019, Brown had the most yards and touchdowns. He is unquestionably the Titans’ top option in the passing game for 2021.

• Nate Davis, Charlotte, guard (third round): Davis, drafted at No. 82, has been one of the most reliable offensive linemen on the Titans’ roster over the last two seasons. He’s started 28 of 29 career appearances, including all 16 this past season when he was the only Titan to play every snap on offense. As a rookie in 2019, Davis played in 13 games with 12 starts. It was the most starts at guard by a Titans rookie since Chance Warmack’s 16 starts in 2013. He also played and started in all four of the Titans’ postseason games over the last two seasons.

• Amani Hooker, safety, Iowa (fourth round): Hooker figures to be a starter for the first time in his career this season, considering the Titans released veteran Kenny Vaccaro earlier this offseason. Despite starting just three games in 2020, he tied for the team lead in interceptions with four. He has been productive in limited opportunities thus far, which earned him the opportunity for more in 2021.

2020

Kristian Fulton, cornerback, LSU (second round): A knee injury stunted the 2020 second-round pick’s rookie season, so the verdict is very much out on Fulton. But after the Titans parted ways with starting cornerbacks Malcolm Butler and Adoree’ Jackson, he too should have a much larger role in 2021.