Tennessee Titans: The Titans can keep their closing championship window open at the Draft

The Titans championship window has slowly been closing, but Jon Robinson can keep the window open if he makes the right calls on Draft night.

The draft is now less than one month away from taking place in Nashville, and this could be the draft that makes or breaks the Titans short-term future. The Titans have been a middle of the pack team since their Super Bowl run in 1999 with just three division championships since then, and only three playoff wins. Mike Mularkey tried to turn the franchise around after Ken Whisenhunt went 3-20 in a year and a half with the franchise. After back-to-back 9-7 seasons, things were looking up, but the Titans decided to replaced Mularkey with Mike Vrabel and in return, they got another 9-7 season. But it’s not all bad as that was the first time in Titans history the team has had three straight winning seasons.

With Mariota getting older he is only going to become more injury prone, and it is going to be difficult to win a championship with a quarterback who is sitting out half the season, so the Titans are going to have to move fast if they are looking to win a championship soon with Mariota.

Now with that being said, what are the Titans biggest concerns going into the draft? Well, they assessed the backup quarterback problem by bringing in Ryan Tannehill from the Dolphins so you can check that off the list. With the NFL trending in the direction of favoring the offensive side of the ball and having a defensive coach in Vrabel, the biggest thing the Titans need to address is the offensive line and receiver.

They kind of addressed this in free agency by bringing in C/G Hroniss Grasu, G Rodger Saffold and WR Adam Humphries. Saffold has a chance to start full time at guard or tackle and the 2013 and 2014 Rimington Award winner Grasu could compete for a starting spot inside although I would assume if the Titans take an interior lineman in the draft Grasu will be put aside.

Without Corey Davis in the game at receiver, the Titans combined for just 965 receiving yards and three touchdowns. A second, third or fourth round pick should probably go to someone at the receiver position while the first round pick should probably go to an interior lineman. If the Titans decide to not go after a receiver in the draft that means they trust Delanie Walker and Corey Davis to help lead the passing attack in 2019.

Who Should the Titans Draft in the First Round?

The offensive line should be a high priority for any team especially a team with an injury prone quarterback. After having one of the best offensive lines in the NFL a few years ago, the Titans offensive line has slowly gone downhill. The Titans should look at C Garrett Bradbury from NC State or Oklahoma G/T Cody Ford for a possible first or second round selection.

Cody Ford is a guy you won’t notice on film very often because he does his job. He is someone who is big, strong and he shows emotion. Not as much emotion as Taylor Lewan but I think he could definitely transform into a younger version of Lewan if given the opportunity with the Titans. Having two guys like that on an offensive line could completely change how your offense is run because you have two guys you know will do their job. Here’s a full breakdown of Ford at his time at OU:

Garrett Bradbury is an interior offensive lineman who was one of the best in the ACC last season. Bradbury won the 2018 Rimington Trophy which is given to the best center in college football. He commanded the Wolfpack offensive line, unlike anything the program had ever seen in program history. He is my favorite lineman coming into the draft and will be a guy on many teams’ list so if the Titans want him he will have to be a top priority.

The Titans can gear up for a big season on the offensive side of the ball if they address their offensive needs in the draft correctly. If they don’t, well, it’s only going to get more difficult from here.