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.
The Titans have done nothing but add offensive linemen within this last week. First, they signed former Tampa Buccaneer Kevin Pamphile, a move I liked a lot. Then, they added Xavier Su’a-Filo this week – another move I like. It creates strong competition along the interior of the offensive line, which was an area where the Titans struggled mightily in 2017. If I’m Quinton Spain, I have a fire lit under my ass now.
But, if it doesn’t end up working out with Spain, do either Pamphile or Su’a-Filo look like the “building block” type? No. Great for competition. Great for depth. But, I don’t think you’re signing either of these guys to come in and play guard for the next ten years. So, it’s possible for the Titans to look at ‘guard of the future’ as a need.
Again, I have pass rusher listed as the #1 need, but I don’t think there’s a debilitating need anywhere on this roster. It’s talented, it’s good, and it’s deep. So, they have the luxury of being able to pick a guard if they want to. Notre Dame’s Quenton Nelson is the consensus top guard in this year’s draft. But, under him, there’s a slew of capable guys who appear could be studs for years. Among them, UTEP’s Will Hernandez.
Quite frankly, Hernandez is a big ass hunk of man. He stands at 6’2″ – actually kind of short for guard in the NFL – but he heaps a hefty 348 pounds upon the Earth. And, ladies and gentlemen, he is as strong and powerful as he is imposing. He plays with a steady base, but is unusually light on his feet and agile for a man of his stature. Hernandez looks like he’ll be the prototypical mauler in the NFL, a great run blocker, but maybe there’s some work to do in pass protection. NFL scouts are concerned with his “short arms.” The fear there is that he would be easily displaced by longer pass rushers.
But, he has the pedigree you look for in a foundational piece – four-year starter, strong passion for football, and a renowned work ethic. By all accounts, this is a kid who could come in and start right away.
Now, you talk about his fit with the Titans. Yeah, I mean – the talent could prove useful if the circumstances fall a certain way. But, it would give them a surplus, perhaps even excess, of offensive guards. I think this team is content with Spain and some competition moving forward, and that’s okay. The first round pick should be defense, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go with a guard if Hernandez is still available at #25. I don’t believe he will be.
Further Reading: Alex Kirshner had an excellent piece for SB Nation about Hernandez’s rise to prominence, coming from an 0-12 UTEP team.
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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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