We are just nine days away from the 2020 NFL Draft, and it can’t come soon enough because the speculation (my own included) about what the Tennessee Titans will do has become tiring to say the least.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper has released his latest mock draft and has the Titans going all defense in the first two rounds.
In the first round, Kiper pegs Penn State EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos to the Titans at No. 29 overall.
“Tennessee added Vic Beasley Jr. on a one-year deal in free agency, but it should still take a close look at the edge rushers at the end of Round 1,” Kiper wrote. “Gross-Matos had a steady but unspectacular 2019 season, putting up 15 tackles for loss with 9.5 sacks. He would likely play end in the Titans’ 3-4 defense, but he could play outside linebacker, too.”
For the Titans’ second-round selection at No. 61 overall, Kiper sees them going with a cornerback, and namely Alabama product, Trevon Diggs.
“Logan Ryan is still unsigned, and Tennessee could use an injection of talent at the cornerback spot,” says Kiper. “Diggs, a converted wide receiver and brother of new Bills wideout Stefon Diggs, is still raw, but he has the tools to be an NFL starter. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Diggs allowed just 30% of passes to be completed when he was the primary defender in 2019, the third-lowest percentage in the FBS.”
While we’ve seen Gross-Matos mocked to the Titans on several occasions this offseason, it’s surprising to see Diggs being projected to go so late in the second round by Kiper.
The vast majority of mocks I’ve seen have Diggs going somewhere near the end of the first round, or early in the second. If the Titans could nab him at the end of the second round, that would be one hell of a pick.
On top of EDGE, the Titans could address positions like cornerback, offensive tackle and defensive line at the end of the first round. I tend to believe that EDGE isn’t as high a priority as it once was, but never rule out any position if a player the team loves enough falls to that spot.
General manager Jon Robinson could also choose to trade out of the No. 29 overall pick in order to accumulate more picks, which would be smart but no doubt frustrating for fans who would have to wait longer to see a Titans pick.
Whatever the case may be, all the speculation about what Tennessee will do will start to come to an end on April 23 when the draft officially begins.
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