A look at the biggest winners and losers from the Titans’ first preseason game.
The Tennessee Titans saw their first live-game action in the preseason opener on Thursday night when they took on the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
While the Titans didn’t win the game, there were definitely some positives to take from it, including the performances of some of the team’s rookies, especially quarterback Malik Willis.
Willis was among Tennessee’s biggest standouts in his preseason debut, and he managed to outperform his competition for the backup quarterback job, Logan Woodside.
While some players helped their cause, others did not. Here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers from Tennessee’s preseason loss to the Ravens.
Titans RB Hassan Haskins had a good day while running with the ones on Sunday.
After an off day on Saturday, the Tennessee Titans returned to the practice field for their ninth session of training camp on Sunday as the team prepares for its preseason opener on Thursday against the Baltimore Ravens.
Following practice, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel met with the media and one of the more standout quotes coming from him was about rookie linebacker, Jack Gibbens.
“Dr. Gibby (Vrabel’s nickname for Gibbens) is smart,” Vrabel said. “He’s picked up the defense extremely well. He’s going to be fun to watch playing in the game. He gets everybody lined up. He knows exactly what to do. He can help other guys. He’s always around the football. That’s kind of what we saw last year watching film at Minnesota.”
We pegged Gibbens as a longshot to make the roster at the start of training camp, but it appears we need to be paying more attention to the 2022 undrafted free agent.
A look at the contract details of each Titans 2022 NFL draft pick.
About three months after selecting nine players in the 2022 NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans were able to ink the last of their unsigned picks on the same day rookies reported for training camp on Wednesday, July 23.
Bringing up the rear in rookie signings for Tennessee were second-round pick and cornerback Roger McCreary, and third-round pick and quarterback Malik Willis.
However, the Titans got both under contract earlier this week, with McCreary signing one day before Willis did.
Now that all nine of Tennessee’s 2022 draft picks are under signed, we’re going to take a look at the deal for each. All contract figures are courtesy of Spotrac.com.
#Michigan is one of the best schools that recruits the running back position. #GoBlue
Michigan is coming off of the 2021 football season where it rushed for 3,001 total yards on the ground which was good enough for eighth-best in the entire country. The Wolverines averaged 214 yards-per-game on the ground and there were only eight Power Five teams ahead of the maize and blue.
The Wolverines had a ton of success on the ground last season with running backs Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum, while mixing in true freshman Donovan Edwards. The Wolverines’ offensive line won the Joe Moore Award for the best offensive line, and it’s looking to continue the ground success in the future.
Michigan got a commitment from ESPN 300 running back Cole Cabana, the No. 6 back in the class and the third highest-ranked recruit at the position who has made a commitment. The staff also has a commitment from three-star Ben Hall. Corum and Edwards are only sophomores, while Tavierre Dunlap is a redshirt freshman. Adding Cabana will be a step toward keeping the running back room filled with talent.
Hassan Haskins was a part of the 2018 class which featured Aidan Hutchinson, Cam McGrone, Ryan Hayes, and Jalen Mayfield. Haskins was ranked as a three-star according to 247Sports composite, and he was the 975th-ranked recruit in the country. But Haskins sure surpassed expectations. During his career at Michigan, he rushed for 2,324 yards and 30 scores on the ground. But he really burst onto the scene last year in a starring role for the Wolverines where he ran for 1,327 yards and 20 touchdowns.
During the 2020 cycle, that’s when the Wolverines landed Blake Corum. The 5-foot-8 back that played at St. Francis Academy (Maryland) was a four-star recruit that many teams were after. He chose the Wolverines over Ohio State, Georgia, USC, Ole Miss, Michigan State, and many others. 247Sports composite had Corum as the 129th-ranked recruit in the country and the 12th-best running back.
Corum played sparingly in 2020 splitting reps with Haskins, Chris Evans, and Zach Charbonnet, but in 2021 Corum erupted out of the gate with three-straight 100-yard performances. He ended the season rushing for 951 yards and 11 scores. The speedy back has already been announced on preseason watch lists like the Maxwell Award and the Doak Walker Award for 2022.
In the 2022 recruiting cycle, Michigan may have gotten the best back yet in Donovan Edwards. Edwards played at West Bloomfield (Michigan) and was highly coveted by many colleges in the country. The five-star recruit had his picking of basically any college he wanted to go to like Ohio State, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, and many others, but he chose to stay in state and attend the University of Michigan. The composite ranking had Edwards ranked as the 42nd-ranked recruit in the country while being the fourth-best running back.
Edwards worked behind both Corum and Haskins during his freshman season with the maize and blue, but he showed why he was heavily recruited. Edwards carried the rock 35 times for 174 yards, but he showed off how versatile he truly is. The 5-foot-11 back caught the ball 20 times for 265 yards and a score. He even threw a touchdown pass in the Big Ten title game against Iowa.
Also in the 2021 class, Tavierre Dunlap was a three-star running back who figures to get some run during the 2022 season. In the 2022 class, Michigan landed CJ Stokes, a 5-foot-11 three-star recruit who chose the Wolverines over South Carolina.
While he may not be at Michigan any longer, the Wolverines did recruit the former four-star Zach Charbonnet, and he played for the Wolverines for two seasons before transferring to UCLA — where he is now the featured back. He was the 46th-ranked back in the country when Michigan landed him.
Now that the Wolverines have landed four-star Cole Cabana and three-star Ben Hall for the 2023 cycle, the Wolverines should be set at running back for quite some time.
Recapping a recent fantasy football industry draft to look for trends and more.
Fantasy football drafts are heating up as we enjoy summer weather and cold beverages. A recently hosted industry mock draft is the source for this recap. Out of respect for the hosts of this draft, no reference will be made to its identity so the content remains fresh on their end, nor will the entire draft results be published here.
The draft results will appear in a magazine as part of a larger evaluation of the draft. Before getting into my individual picks, here are a few observations from a 12-team, PPR draft.
In last June’s iteration, Round 1 saw seven running backs and five receivers, including Cooper Kupp going at No. 2 and Justin Jefferson as the third selection. This version saw Kupp drafted fourth and Jefferson seventh with nine RBs making up the rest of the round.
Six RBs came off the board in Round 2 in 2021’s June draft, followed by one fewer receiver and solo tight end. This year’s June draft was no different. In the July edition, five backs, one tight end, and six wideouts were chosen.
The first QB, Josh Allen, was taken with the opening pick of Round 5 in June. Justin Herbert went just two picks later, and only a pair of passers came off the board in the next 31 selections (Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes). This time around, Allen was Pick 5:05, and Mahomes went with the very next spot. Herbert went with the eighth pick in the fifth round. Seven quarterbacks went in the first 75 choices this time. Quarterback remains quite deep with a viable starter often being available into the 13th round.
Tight end remains a little top-heavy, just like last year. Following the consensus top-six TEs — all of whom went in the first five rounds — the position gets really dicey. If you’re not comfortable playing the matchups, make sure to secure one of Mark Andrews, Travis Kelce, Kyle Pitts, George Kittle, Darren Waller or Dalton Schultz.
In the first 100 picks, nine QBs, 40 RBs, 43 WRs and eight TEs — no significant changes from the June version when eight quarterbacks, 38 RBs, 45 WRs and nine tight ends were chosen.
Pick 10 is an interesting spot this year. In the FSGA draft, which was a 14-teamer, it was brutal compared to a 12-squad setup. This draft having a dozen teams made me appreciate the slotting more than expected.
Here’s a snapshot of the first 10 rounds broken down by number of positional picks:
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My roster
Pos
Player
Team
Bye
QB
Aaron Rodgers
GB
14
RB
James Conner
ARI
13
RB
JK Dobbins
BAL
10
RB
Rashaad Penny
SEA
11
RB
Miles Sanders
PHI
7
RB
Hassan Haskins
TEN
6
WR
Ja’Marr Chase
CIN
10
WR
Stefon Diggs
BUF
7
WR
Jerry Jeudy
DEN
9
WR
Allen Lazard
GB
14
WR
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
KC
8
WR
Jalen Tolbert
DAL
9
TE
Dalton Schultz
DAL
9
TE
Austin Hooper
TEN
6
PK
Matt Prater
ARI
13
DT
Los Angeles Chargers
LAC
8
By round
Pick
Rnd
Player
Tm
Pos
10
1.1
Ja’Marr Chase
CIN
WR
15
2.3
Stefon Diggs
BUF
WR
34
3.1
James Conner
ARI
RB
39
4.3
J.K. Dobbins
BAL
RB
58
5.1
Dalton Schultz
DAL
TE
63
6.3
Jerry Jeudy
DEN
WR
82
7.1
Rashaad Penny
SEA
RB
87
8.3
Miles Sanders
PHI
RB
106
9.1
Allen Lazard
GB
WR
111
10.3
Aaron Rodgers
GB
QB
130
11.1
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
KC
WR
135
12.3
Hassan Haskins
TEN
RB
154
13.1
Austin Hooper
TEN
TE
159
14.3
Jalen Tolbert
DAL
WR
178
15.1
Los Angeles Chargers
LAC
Def/ST
183
16.3
Matt Prater
ARI
K
Keeping the previous iterations’ format alive, each pick gets a brief explanation of my draft thoughts:
Unheralded rookie running backs who could make an impact.
Running backs often are the lifeblood of fantasy football championship rosters, and it behooves gamers to dig deeper than the next person when searching for an edge.
It’s a weak year for top-end rookie backs, highlighted by the New York Jets’ Breece Hall. Particularly this year, fantasy owners are likely to find value in the second half of drafts. The position is volatile and rife with injuries by year’s end. While knowing the top names is a must, seeing less obvious paths to playing time is arguably more important.
Aside from Hall, Seattle’s Kenneth Walker III (Round 8 ADP) and Buffalo’s James Cook (Round 9) typically round out the first rookie backs chosen. Each has merit in some regards. Walker probably has a more linear avenue to serious playing time, whereas Cook’s role is less clear — he currently profiles as a third-down back and even a slot option. Walker, conversely, offers little as a receiver but is built to handle a larger workload than Cook.
With the Titans possibly looking to lessen Derrick Henry’s workload a bit in 2022,
The heart and soul of the Tennessee Titans’ offense is its rushing attack, which is led by superstar rusher, Derrick Henry.
Unfortunately for Henry and the Titans, he missed half a season in 2021 due to a broken bone in his foot, otherwise the Alabama product was likely heading for another 2,000-yard season and rushing title.
Even without Henry, the Titans still managed to thrive on the ground thanks to stellar blocking from the offensive line. In fact, the rushing attack was far and away the best thing about Tennessee’s offense.
Henry’s two main replacements, Dontrell Hilliard and D’Onta Foreman, had a combined total of 916 yards on the ground over the last nine weeks, just 21 less than Henry did over the first eight weeks.
Looking ahead to 2022, Foreman, who took control of the backfield with Henry out, is no longer with the team after signing with the Carolina Panthers, but Hilliard remains.
With the Titans looking to lessen Henry’s workload at least a little bit, who is in line to help out? We take a look at that and more in our training camp preview for the running back position in Nashville.
Note: we’ve also included the fullback position in this article because fullbacks need love too.
Derrick Henry has been impressed with what he’s seen from Hassan Haskins thus far.
One of the more surprising picks the Tennessee Titans made during the 2022 NFL draft was the fourth-round selection of Michigan running back Hassan Haskins.
Now, that’s not to say we didn’t think the Titans could take a running back at all, just not that early and not before what we perceived were bigger needs, like tight end, which Tennessee would later address.
But the pick definitely makes sense. Derrick Henry is approaching the age of 30, and the Titans are likely hoping to take some of the load off his shoulders in the years to come.
When asked about his new teammate, Henry called Haskins “a beast” and was impressed with the 6-foot-2, 228-pound back’s size.
“I was excited when we got him,” Henry said, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “Hassan is a beast. I was able to catch his game vs. Ohio State when he went off. Seeing him in person, he is a big dude, and he’s a solid dude. Seeing him [at practice], I can tell everything is coming natural to him. I just told him: ‘Don’t try to get too overwhelmed, just take it day by day.”
The game Henry is talking about saw Haskins go for 169 rushing yards and five scores — both career-highs — in a 42-27 victory over the Buckeyes in 2021.
Speaking of beasts, Henry is the definition of one with his massive 6-foot-3, 247-pound frame, powerful running style and underrated speed, all things Haskins raved about upon meeting Henry.
“He’s big. I thought I was pretty big but he’s a large guy, I’m not going to lie,” Haskins said, via Mickey Ryan of 104.5 The Zone. “It’s crazy. I’ve never seen anything like that. He’s so big and so fast, it’s ridiculous.”
The Michigan product says he feels “way more confident” from where he was when the offseason program began, and he’s been wisely watching Henry for any knowledge he can soak up.
“I definitely watch him, all his moves,” Haskins said of Henry. “Just seeing how he is, how he handles himself. He’s a super-cool dude… I just want to keep picking his brain and keep getting better.”
Looking ahead to his rookie season, Haskins will be one of the backs who spells Henry, and the hope is that the rookie can thrive in that role and allow Henry to lessen his workload a bit, which could help extend his career.
However, the ultimate goal for Haskins is, of course, to become a starter. He isn’t sure when he’ll get his opportunity to do that, but having to work his way up the depth chart is nothing new for the 22-year-old.
“In college, I wasn’t starting right away — I had to work my way,” Haskins said. “Now, I have to do the same thing — I have to keep working each day. It may not be tomorrow, it may not be a couple of years, but I am going to keep working and get better to have a role on this team.”
For the first time since being drafted by the Tennessee Titans, quarterback Malik Willis and running back Hassan Haskins both got their first in-person look at Henry while on the field at mandatory minicamp.
And, as is the case with most people who come across Henry in real life, they were dumbfounded at just how big the hulking 6-foot-3, 237-pound running back is.
“That’s a big human, dude,” Willis said with a smile, per FOX Nashville’s Jill Jelnick. “I just thought he was huge. I was like, ‘dang, I see why he’s stiff-arming people and all that.’ That’s what’s up, though, he’s on my team.”
“He’s big. I thought I was pretty big but he’s a large guy, I’m not going to lie,” Haskins said, via Mickey Ryan of 104.5 The Zone. “It’s crazy. I’ve never seen anything like that. He’s so big and so fast, it’s ridiculous.”
Derrick Henry beside Malik Willis
my god
The size difference between Henry and the average NFL player still amazes me and he’s been on this team for like 6 years pic.twitter.com/DpNXff1glM
The good news for Tennessee’s rookies is that they don’t have to tackle Henry, who often tosses grown men like rag dolls.
“Derrick’s obviously built differently,” quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. “Not a lot of guys walking around on planet Earth looking like Derrick. Obviously the things he can do are next level in a lot of different areas, so it’s always fun to see what he’s doing out there, and obviously the people love it.”
Haskins is really turning some heads in Tennessee!
The Tennessee Titans drafted former Michigan football bruiser Hassan Haskins with the 131st pick in the 2021 NFL draft in April.
The Titans started their mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, giving players and coaches the chance to talk about what they are seeing on the field.
Derrick Henry, the former offensive player of the year, had a chance to talk about the new rookie running back. Henry said that he was excited when the Titans drafted him, and he called Haskins a beast. Henry said he watched the Michigan game when Haskins went off against Ohio State. Haskins had 28 carries for 169 yards and five touchdowns en route to a 42-27 win against the Buckeyes.
The 6-foot-3 247-pound Henry also called Haskins a big dude. You can see his comments in the video below.
Haskins also commented on Henry, and the former Wolverine immediately talked about Henry’s size.
“He’s big!” Haskins exclaimed. “I thought I was big, but he’s a large guy.”
Haskins was then asked about Henry’s speed, and Haskins said he has never seen that kind of speed with Henry’s size.
“It’s crazy, I’ve never seen anything like that,” said Henry. “He’s so big and so fast, it’s crazy!”
Henry wasn’t the only person that has been impressed with the rookie. Offensive coordinator Todd Downing said that Haskins has done a nice job so far, and he appeared to be pleased with what Haskins is bringing to the table. He said Haskins is doing a good job at not making the same mistake twice.
Haskins will be competing for the backup job during the summer and during the preseason. He is being projected to see a significant role behind Henry come this fall.
