The vast majority of mock drafts we’ve seen from different outlets for the Tennessee Titans has them taking an EDGE in the first round, but a recent one from The Athletic has the team going in a different direction.
In the latest mock draft from The Athletic’s Chris Burke, the Titans select Notre Dame inside linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah at No. 22 overall. Here’s what Burke had to say about the selection:
If we fast forwarded five years and learned Owusu-Koramoah — not Parsons — was the best “linebacker” in this class, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise. They’re completely different players, of course. The Titans’ pick at 23 is that safety/linebacker hybrid who’s almost a must-have in the modern NFL.
In the last two seasons with the Fighting Irish, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound prospect tallied 142 total tackles (96 solo, 24.5 for loss), seven sacks, one interception and seven passes defensed.
As Burke points out, Owusu-Koramoah is one of those safety/linebacker hybrids, which are becoming more and more common in today’s NFL. Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling has him ranked as the No. 2 linebacker in the class.
What the Titans do with their first-round pick will depend heavily on what the team does in free agency. Most expect Tennessee to address EDGE first, but that might not be necessary if general manager Jon Robinson can add significant help in free agency.
In that scenario, the Titans could go after other positions in the first round, like interior defensive line, cornerback, or wide receiver, but one way or the other they need to take at least one edge rusher in this draft.
Inside linebacker is kind of the wild card in all of this. The Titans might need to replace Jayon Brown if he leaves in free agency, but they also have a potential replacement in David Long to pair with Rashaan Evans.
Based on the fact that they have multiple bigger holes elsewhere, chances are the Titans will wait to take an inside linebacker.
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