Tennessee Titans First Round Options: Ronnie Harrison

Share This Post

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.


Ronnie Harrison is an interesting name that only recently started popping up for the Titans in the seemingly infinite circuit of NFL mock drafts. Initially, I just laughed it off. PFFFTTT – a safety? In the first round? Come on! But, the more and more I read, from credible journalists, that the former Alabama safety could be in play at #25, the more I think, “hey – maybe they’re on to something.”

That or the national media just doesn’t have its collective finger on the pulse of the Tennessee Titans. Not that that would ever happen, of course…

Anyway, on the surface, it seems as though the Titans secondary is pretty well locked down. Malcolm Butler, Adoree Jackson, and Logan Ryan make a formidable unit at cornerback. Behind them is a talented corps of depth that includes LeShaun Sims, Kalan Reed, and Tye Smith. Kevin Byard is the prototypical rangy centerfield free safety. Johnathan Cyprien is an anchor in run support. Why mess with what works, right?

Well, the Titans are in a unique position. They don’t have any needs that will hurt them tremendously if they go unaddressed. They need an elite pass rusher and an inside linebacker to really fill out the defense. But, for the most part, they have the luxury of taking the best player available, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see this organization go outside-the-box at #25.

Depth at safety is something the Titans should address, and it’s something a lot of folks anticipate they will address at some point in this year’s draft. But, you stop and think – Cyprien is signed through 2020. Best case scenario for him is that he plays that contract out. Worst case scenario, his play dips in 2018 and the Titans move on. Regardless, the Titans could be looking for their next starting strong safety in 2019 at the earliest or 2021 at the latest either way. So, who’s the heir apparent?

Harrison could be that guy.

The word you see most often with the former Tide safety is ‘enforcer,’ and it fits him to a T. He’s known for his destructive tackles, his aggression, and for his overall athleticism. The dude did play quarterback in high school – he’s versatile, and a lot of scouts have said he’ll fit into just about any defensive scheme you need him to. He certainly has the pedigree you look for in a prospect – started since his freshman year, second team All-SEC in 2017.

He definitely has the size to match up with NFL receivers and tight ends, too. But, I watched him prematurely jump routes and get burned on several occasions at Alabama. He doesn’t possess elite change-of-direction speed, but his flat line speed is good enough that he made up ground significantly when he needed to. Is that going to be the case in the NFL when everyone is as strong and fast as he is?

Harrison was a key player in run support under Nick Saban. It just so happens that that could be a hole for the Titans within the coming year or two. He’s still a bit of a raw talent, so going to a team that doesn’t immediately require him starting would be the best route for him, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Titans were that team.

A lot of people would probably poo-poo this selection. But, the more I read and the more I think about it, I would be alright with it.

Further Reading: Dana Becker has a nice write-up on Harrison over on Saturday Blitz.

Also, Harrison explains why he models his game after the late great Sean Taylor.

TENNESSEE TITANS FIRST ROUND OPTIONS ARCHIVES

Marcus Davenport
Rashaan Evans
Will Hernandez
Sam Hubbard
Ronald Jones
Harold Landry
Leighton Vander Esch
Vita Vea

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

Buy our shirt. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Listen on SoundCloud. Watch on YouTube. Shop our store on Redbubble.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get updates and learn from the best

More To Explore