By: Courtlandt Griffin
The NFL Combine has officially ended, and teams will now comb over the data in the coming weeks. One team in particular is the Tennessee Titans who hold the top pick in this year’s draft.
Tennessee has been very vocal about their plans to do their due diligence on all fronts, but there is no cemented plan of action thus far. The Combine could have changed that for them and here is how:
Cam Ward vs The Field
Cam Ward was the talk of the town around many circles as the week of the Combine went on. The Titans met with the potential top pick, and he really impressed them per reports.
Ward’s calm demeanor and stoic stance is a change of pace from the norm the Titans have become accustomed to at the quarterback position. Tennessee has a few veterans on the team that have seen some success and have also experienced the lows of the league. Ward is no stranger to working his way up the ranks and that could ingratiate him into the locker room and rally this team under a young leader. Ward is meeting with the Titans in the coming weeks and could cement himself as their choice at number one.
Round Two And Beyond…
The bulk of the talent in this draft class is widely considered to be in the bottom of the first round to about the middle of the fourth. Tennessee owns three picks in that range and could find some impact players to fill out the roster. They have needs at offensive tackle, safety, and wide receiver which are all positions with strong talent in the middle rounds. A couple names that could be in play for the team are:
WR Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
WR Jalen Royal, Utah State
OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, Florida
OL Carson Vinson, Alabama A&M
Safety Jonas Sanker
Safety Billy Bowman
All of them impressed in on-field workouts and could have sold the Tennessee front office on the depth of this year’s draft. This could allow Tennessee to feel more inclined to stay at the top pick and move around the board with their later picks.
Trade Market
The NFL offseason is no stranger to internet breaking news and Combine week did not disappoint. Names such as Jonathan Allen, Brandon Aiyuk, and many more were allowed to seek trades while team officials looked on in Indy. The Titans made some announcements of their own as former Pro Bowl edge rusher Harold Landry III was given permission to seek a trade as he enters the last year of his deal.
Tennessee is in need of help on the edge and moving a veteran like Landry III could be a blessing in disguise for them. As stated before the meat and potatoes of the class is in the middle rounds and Landry III could yield a 3rd to late-4th round pick.
That would give the Titans four picks in the top 120 picks of the draft and give them some currency to make trades on draft day.
The NFL Combine is more than just prospective rookies working out for their future employers, it’s where deals are made. Tennessee is no different and they could have walked away from Indy with a new outlook on their future after an eventful week.