The 2018 NFL Draft takes place April 26-28 this year, and as it stands, the Tennessee Titans have one first round draft pick. General manager Jon Robinson and first year head coach Mike Vrabel currently hold the 25th overall selection. Over the next few weeks, your boy “Big Natural” Stoney Keeley will be taking a look at some of the prospects who are either rumored to be tied to or who make sense for the Titans.
Ah, it feels good to be back. NFL Draft season has been underway for a bit now, but I usually lay low until free agency comes and goes. That said, it feels like there are an infinite number of possibilities at #25. It’s a much tougher job than predicting the 5th overall pick like I had to do last year. So, I want to get an early start and knock out as many of these as I possibly can.
So, let’s get it. One name that seems to be popping up on mock drafts the most consistently is Harold Landry, the stud edge rusher from Boston College. A lot of people thought this guy was ready to come out in last year’s draft, but he chose to stick it out at Boston College another year.
Simply put, Landry is a disruptive athlete. The guy has great range as a pass rusher, and is almost artistic in the manner in which he gets to the quarterback. He’s disruptive in the sense that he’s a relentless type of player – quarterbacks may dodge the first move, but Landry’s athleticism allows him to chase ’em down, and he’s caused a lot of fumbles over the course of his career. He’s a natural agitator.
He had just five sacks and two passes defensed in 2017. But, a lot of Landry’s stock lies in his 2016 campaign – a campaign that saw him tally 22 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, four passes deflected, and an interception. Those are MONSTROUS numbers. His size seems to be his biggest knock, as he stands at “just” 6’3″ and 252 pounds. I’ve seen comparisons ranging from Bruce Irvin to Vic Beasley. Either of which would be fine with me.
But, there’s no denying that his abilities fit exactly what the Titans need at the position – a little bit of youth and explosiveness. The Titans don’t have too many dire needs this year. But, I would list pass rusher chief among them.
The defensive line is stout against the run. The secondary improved over the course of last season and stands to keep getting better. Plus, secondaries are usually made better with a decent pass rush to complement them. That’s the missing piece on defense – another x-factor on the edge. It certainly looks like Landry fits the bill.
As was the case last year, this is intended to be an easily digestible conversation-starting type of column. But, I’ll do my best to point y’all in the right direction if you want to dive deeper. So, that being said, Terry Lambert took such a deep dive in his column on Landry.
Tennessee Titans First Round Options Archives
Coming soon (because this is the first one of the season, duh).
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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