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 Georgia Bulldogs seemed to have a veritable cavalcade of fast athletic pass rushers in 2017. That defense definitely looked the part, too. Between Lorenzo Carter and Roquan Smith, Kirby Smart’s pass rush had some real teeth. While all of the focus seems to be on Smith, a kid who was once a projected top-10 pick before injury concerns saw him slide in mocks, Carter is soaring up draft boards.
Sure, it’s due, in part, to the stellar combine performance he put in. But, he also possesses the size, athleticism, and speed to become an elite pass rusher in the NFL. The reason he’s intriguing is as much about his potential as it is how he graded at the scouting combine. The bottom line is that the pass rush is one of the integral components of a championship football team, and that places a premium on the position. That’s how guys end up rising like this.
But, don’t get me wrong – the guy’s been productive. He was second team All-SEC in 2017 with 61 tackles, 7.5 of those for a loss, 4.5 of those sacks, and three forced fumbles. Carter played in all 15 games last season, starting in 10 of those.
There’s some concern regarding how highly he was touted upon arriving at Georgia. Carter never really lived up to that hype, warranted or not, and you can’t help but wonder if he’s already reached his ceiling. He might need to put on a little weight as well, or risk being bulldozed by bigger running backs.
The bottom line is that Carter is a bit of a risk as a prospect, especially in the first round. But, if there’s a run on pass rushers, and guys like Harold Landry, Sam Hubbard, and Marcus Davenport are off the board, and the Titans are committed to drafting pass rush help, I could definitely see him donning the two-tone blue on draft day.
Regardless of who the pick could be, the Titans are in a decent spot with pass rushers for 2018. That’s the good thing about taking someone like Carter at #25. He wouldn’t be required nor even expected to come in and start right away. He’d have time to develop, and maybe that makes him a little more appealing as a prospect to the Titans.
Further Reading: More on Carter sneaking into the first round on Dawg Nation.
TENNESSEE TITANS FIRST ROUND OPTIONS ARCHIVES
Marcus Davenport
Rashaan Evans
Ronnie Harrison
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
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