The pursuit of Jadeveon Clowney did not impact the Tennessee Titans’ draft strategy, according to general manager Jon Robinson.
#Titans' Robinson: Re Clowney, says the draft was its own entity, not necessarily connected. Looked at some edge guys in draft. Roster building process is never over.
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) April 26, 2020
Robinson has confirmed on multiple occasions that the Titans have spoken to Clowney this offseason, so there’s no question they’re at least in the running for him.
Tennessee did not draft a single EDGE with any of its six picks despite it being thought of as one of the team’s needs coming into the draft.
The only semblance of a pass-rusher the Titans drafted was defensive lineman Larrell Murchison out of N.C. State, who has shown promise as an interior defender who can get to the quarterback.
Does that mean Clowney is a lock to come to Nashville? Not necessarily.
The Titans do have a solid stable of edge defenders already in Harold Landry, Vic Beasley, Kamalei Correa, Reggie Gilbert, Derick Roberson and D’Andre Walker — and it’s a group that Robinson has talked up before.
However, there’s no denying that Clowney would be a major upgrade over any of those guys, and he could help take the Titans’ defense to the next level with his ability as both a pass-rusher and run defender.
It’s also important to note that the Titans’ chances of getting the star pass-rusher might have improved during the draft thanks to the picks made by one of their biggest competitors in the Clowney sweepstakes.
The team once considered to be the favorite to land him, Clowney’s 2019 team the Seattle Seahawks, added two pass-rushers in the draft in Tennessee’s Darrell Taylor and Syracuse’s Alton Robinson.
On the surface, it would appear the Seahawks are making other plans, which is good news for those of us who want Clowney to come to the Titans.
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