Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Mock Draft Monday - The Draft Network's Mock, Mock Draft Round-Up & Pro Bowl Recap

Episode Date: January 27, 2020

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Welcome to the Locked On Titans podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Rowland, Titans fans. It is a mock draft Monday, and we are going to start a little bit of a new tradition going forward in the offseason, at least till April. So let me explain. The Locked On Podcast Network and all their NFL shows are partnering with the Draft Network, which is actually led by our Locked On Bills host, Joe Marino. Those guys have a wealth of knowledge about the draft process over there, breaking down all the prospects, very in-depth analysis and scouting reports, and they're also going to be releasing a mock draft every single Monday. Now, as you guys probably know, I record on Sunday evenings, so what we're going to do

is we are going to break down the previous week's mock draft from Joe Marino and the draft network. We're going to talk about who they selected for the Titans, what I think about the pick, if I would have gone elsewhere, take a look at some of the other picks. And as we see, as we go along in the draft process, now there are two rounds. So we're going to break down both the rounds there, and we're going to continue to do that until the draft comes in April. So mock draft Monday is going to be in full swing. And we're going to continue to do that until the draft comes in April. So Mock Draft Monday is going to be in full swing. And with that in mind, what we're also going to do every Monday is in our second segment, we're going to do a little Mock Draft Roundup.

Why stop at the Draft Network? They are one of the best possible sites to check out draft information for. But let's continue our search on the Mock D draft path here and take a look at what some of the other notable people in the scouting industry and you know the NFL draft industry have to say about the Titans and where their selection is going and of course I'm going to be providing my analysis along the way what I think of the picks where I would have gone if I agree so it's going to be a really fun episode every single Monday to break these things down. In our third segment today, we are going to talk about the Pro Bowl. Obviously, the Pro Bowl took place on Sunday. Whether you're interested in that or not, we're just going to take a look at what happened,

how our Tennessee Titans performed, how the different four Titans in the game came out. Obviously, everyone was healthy, and that's most important. Before we jump into the show, I do want to take a moment to talk about the and that's most important and before we jump into the show I do want to take a moment to talk about the news that's rocking the sports world right now and that's the passing of NBA legend Kobe Bryant at the age of 41 in a helicopter crash and unfortunately his daughter 13 Gianna was with him as well and you know rest in peace to both of them but obviously Kobe Bryant had a big impact on the entire sports world. We saw that in the Pro Bowl with some of the celebrations from the players, tons of outpouring of, you know, kind words and thoughts and condolences from every corner of

the sports world and the globe. And Kobe Bryant symbolized to a lot of people what hard work and what putting dedication into your craft looks like. Known as one of the most intense competitors in any sport all over the world in the history of athletics. One of the toughest athletes in NBA history and had a very big impact on a lot of people in the sports world, not just basketball players. And for me personally, made a huge impact on me, was one of the first people athlete wise that I ever looked up to and i mean as i've mentioned on the show my dog's name is kobe he was my idol and my hero as as an

athlete so definitely recording today's show with a few tears in my eyes and a heavy heart as i've mentioned on twitter at tic tac titans if you guys are following me so appreciate all the you know memories and all the words that everybody's sharing about what kobe bryant meant to them and i know this is a titans podcast and an nfl podcast but it seemed like it wouldn't make sense to kind of avoid that especially with the impact that he's had on me so i may say a few more words at the end of the show but wanted to make sure we mentioned that at the front so a moment of silence for an nba legend and a huge impact on the sports world Kobe Bryant

there is no easy transition out of that sort of conversation but what I will tell you guys is I'm going to record today's show with the Mamba mentality. Make sure I bring it, give you guys everything I got as we talk about the Titans draft needs and who some of the better scouting experts in the industry are selecting for the Titans in today's Mock Draft Monday. So with that in mind, let's get it. With the 29th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Draft Network has the Tennessee Titans selecting edge rusher Terrell Lewis out of Alabama. Lewis is 6'5", about 250-plus pounds.

He was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, had a mildly productive season at Alabama considering all the rotation that they have on their defensive front. He had 31 tackles and six sacks on the year. Taking a look at Lewis as a prospect, he's a long-limb athlete. He definitely has a lot of physicality to him he likes to mix it up in the trenches has a very good motor he plays very hard and he uses his intensity to win in pass rush situations that's basically what he does he's just physical he never stops going even

in post play situations where the primary option isn't open, things break down, that kind of sandlot schoolyard feel. He's very good because of that motor in those situations, keeps pressing, and often he will work harder and longer than the guy he's going against in the offensive line. So that's something that you like to see in a personality trait that matches up with what the Titans like to do. Things that he needs to work on at this moment in time are all technical refinement. They're all things that can be coached up. He doesn't have great pass rush moves at this moment in time

in terms of a go-to move, a spin, a bull rush, a chop. Like I said at the beginning, he uses that intensity and that motor to win out because he's trying a lot harder and going a lot harder than the guy that he's going against. But I would rather have that as a base and then have a coach like Mike Vrabel have a coach like Shane Bowen there to teach him pass rush moves and counters to those initial pass rush moves that he may be using so I think Lewis would be a good option for the Titans he profiles more as a 3-4 outside linebacker, which was basically what the Titans would ask him to do in this situation. So I kind of like his fit with the

Titans. There are other options available too that could possibly entice John Robinson, and there are also holes on this roster. We know the edge is a monster hole and has been for this team for quite some time and still needs to be addressed, but some other holes that could pop up and whether Derrick Henry is re-signed or not, running back in a secondary running back who can help, you know, lessen the load on Henry and maybe provide some value in the passing game. You look at somebody like J.K. Dobbins from Ohio State who was selected in the Draft Network mock draft two picks later away from the Titans pick. He might be an option there if the Titans look to maybe go a

veteran route, a free agent route to solve that edge issue. There are definitely options for the Titans. Tons of skill position players, running backs, and wide receivers who can make an impact who will be available late there. Some cornerbacks will also be in the mix for the Titans potentially as well. So that's who they have in the first round for the Titans. This is a two-round mock draft that the Draft Network is putting out. So the Titans' second round pick is a senior bowl practice standout that we talked about on Friday's episode. Lloyd Cushenberry from LSU, 6'3", 312 pounds. Obviously, LSU's offense had a phenomenal year, and it was a pro-style offense led by Joe Brady,

who was hired by the Carolina Panthers as an offensive coordinator. So he had good coaching there in LSU on the offensive side of the ball and was dealing with pass protection schemes and dealing with different run game fronts that you would deal with in a game plan meeting in the NFL. So that gives him a mental advantage over some of his college counterparts, along with the fact that he had a phenomenal season. He's athletic. He's long for a center. You know, if you're talking about an interior offensive lineman, has very good hip fluidity, he's quick, and has very good IQ as well.

And that goes back to, you know, being built and running that pro-style offense that LSU did throughout the entire season with Joe Brady. So he does need some work on his hands and his footwork when he gets rushed quickly. If you have a really quick interior rusher who can come in and disrupt things, it does give him issues. But like I said, a great senior bull, he may not even be available in this slot for the Titans with how well he played this week. So we will see. But offensive line on the interior and edge rusher are definite needs for this Tennessee Titans football team. Make sure you guys are going to the Draft Network and checking out the newest

edition of Mock Draft Monday that will be released a little later on today, and we will break that down next week as well. Also, make sure that you are subscribed to this podcast so you can get all these Mock Draft Monday breakdowns. Like I said, in our next segment, we are going to go around the NFL Twittersphere and take a look at the mock drafts from some of the better-known experts in the industry. We are on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, whatever platform you're streaming on, you can find the Locked on Titans podcast there. So make sure that you're subscribing and following me on Twitter at TicTacTitans for more. We are going to go into our mock draft roundup. And like

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hard to say better than others but some of the more better known draft analysts in the NFL sphere here we're going to take a look at what their most recent mock drafts had for the Titans and you'll see a particular pattern developing here based on our first segment and what was selected for the Titans in the first round and what we're seeing a lot from the mock drafts that i pulled i'll try to switch it up as well for you guys obviously i can't talk about every single mock draft that is you know on the interwebs but i do want to pick you know a couple highlight a couple of the more well-known ones at first and i'll make sure to move around give you guys a general idea of where i'm pulling them from, and make sure that I switch it up a little bit. I just want to speak about mock drafts to start off before we even get into some of the ones I've seen for the Titans recently.

What I look for in a mock draft is not dead-on accuracy. I don't think that you can grade these draft analysts on that scale of absolute pinpoint accuracy with player and pick what I really want to look at is how well do they understand the roster and how well do they understand the Titans roster are they doing their homework are they doing the work to actually look at these teams and see what their needs are and what they might be keying in on positionally in the draft so that's really what I want to look at. If the person doing the mock draft is doing that, well, they can be a wealth of knowledge. They can be a resource for us as we move along in the offseason, take a look at the Titans

team needs. And obviously there's one big glaring need that we've talked about throughout the season at the beginning of this offseason now, and we'll probably continue to talk about at every single stage of the offseason moving forward and that is edge rusher the edge rusher position for the titans defensive line in general really just pass rush disruptor is what we're talking about that's going to be a primary need that keeps coming up and we see that here. So let's just jump in. Obviously, the godfather of draft coverage, Mel Kuyper. Can't do our first mock draft roundup without putting him in here.

His first pick for the Tennessee Titans is Junior from Penn State, edge rusher, Yotur Grosmatos. He had 14.5 tackles for loss, 9 sacks on the year. He's a 6'5 power rusher Yotur Grosmatos. He had 14 and a half tackles for loss, nine sacks on the year. He's a six foot five power rusher. Now this is the kind of guy that'll give you versatility. He can line up on the inside and pass rush. He can line up on the outside and pass rush. My personal belief when it comes to edge rushers is you really want a quick twitch athlete, you know, someone like Harold Landry, who really is off the charts athletically. That's what I like when I look at an edge rusher. You see tons of guys who break that mold, though, and are able to have success in the

NFL off the edge. But it's just my personal preference. And while Gross Matos gives you a lot of versatility because he can probably play a five technique and a three-four as a defensive end or be an outside linebacker if you need him definitely be an edge guy and a four-man front on defense he can do a lot of different things he comes from a well-coached team but just want a little more explosiveness from my edge rusher and what I think the Titans need moving forward looking at a guy who I really like his work from NFL Network, Daniel Jeremiah.

There was some conversation at some points in the last offseason that he may jump into a front office role actually in the NFL. But I hope that whatever he does is best for him. But I really enjoy his draft coverage, so hopefully he'll be able to continue giving us that. He had the Titansans selecting marlon davidson an edge rusher from auburn senior six foot three 282 pounds 11 and a half tackles for loss in his last season six and a half sacks he's a power rusher as well a bigger guy even a little

bit bigger than gross matos in terms of weight there he can be an inside rusher an outside rusher and i'm going to give you the same analysis that i gave on gross matos for that i'm going to give you for davidson i think the titans need more of a quick twitch explosive athlete on the outside that can run with the russell wilson's the pat mahomes the lamar jacksons i think they need someone more in the mold of Harold Landry than they need someone who is more of a power rusher who can go inside, outside. I think Jeffrey Simmons gives them a lot of power from the inside. Jarrell Casey, while I would like to build some depth there and maybe get a successor going for Jarrell Casey, he was asked to do a lot on the edge this year, and I just don't think that's what the Titans are looking for. Walter Cherepinski from Walter Football had the Titans selecting edge

rusher out of Florida, redshirt sophomore John Grenard. He's more of the quick twitch athlete that I was speaking about before, kind of the mold that I would be looking for. Six foot three, 220 pounds, has a lot of good pass rushing moves. Like I said, is explosive, has those athletic traits that you are looking for. Obviously needs to be more polished in the run game, needs to get a little bit stronger, and is young, so can always continue to work on his technique, but a pretty good start in terms of pass rushing moves. That's more of the mold of the player that I would be looking for. 16 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, had an interception, a fumble recovery, had a touchdown on the season.

So a lot of versatility and playmaking skills with the ball in his hands if he's able to get to it. So I kind of like that pick, even though I think it's a little bit of a reach. That would be a little too early to address that need with Grenard there at that kind of value late in the first round. address that need with Grenard there at that kind of value late in the first round. Would like to see him a little further down in the second round, maybe even third round for something like that. There's a lot of other value there for the Titans and other positions of need. And then finally, we are going to round things out with Benjamin Solak from the Draft Network. Obviously, that's a partner with us.

So want to make sure that we give the other mock draft there on the draft network some love as well and he also has the titans taken yator gross matos i like i said i would like to see a little bit more of a quick twitch edge rusher than a power rusher inside out rush or anything like that that's why the titans drafted jeffrey simmons to give that interior disruption that interior threat. And while Jarrell Casey is getting older, I still think he has enough left in the tank, as I mentioned earlier,

to definitely focus on someone who can be an athletic freak off the edge like Harold Landry. So I'm going to keep looking for that. Hopefully that's what the Titans are looking for as well. I think that's what they need here. So that is going to wrap up our mock draft wrap up. We are going to continue to rotate the mock drafts, like I said, throughout the weeks. And we're going to do this every Monday.

In our final segment here, we are going to talk about how the Pro Bowl ended up. There were four Titans. They were all able to play, able to be healthy, and get out of that game and get back home. And, you know, some of those Titans have an uncertain future. So glad to see them get out of there healthy. And the game, of course, was a mockery in terms of the tackling or lack thereof. But we do want to check in and at least give you an update on how our Titans performed. let's do a little good news bad news here to begin our third segment the good news we have a football game to recap the bad news you really can't call it much of a football game um the moments I tuned in for as long as I could

it was pretty hilarious watching the players I mean there's literally no tackling I guess someone tackles it's by accident out there so I want all the players to stay healthy and everything but it's just hilarious to to watch I guess football when it And it's really not much of a football game at all. But the players have a good time. The fans have a good time. And, you know, it's something that obviously is going to continue. And luckily, if you care about these sort of results, the AFC team with our Titans on it was able to come out victorious 38-33.

Ryan Tannehill threw two passes one was a 60 yard touchdown to DJ Chark another was an interception so great job Ryan Tannehill getting the full you know Pro Bowl experience out there pretty much summed up his season on that first throw a long 60 yard touchdown broke off by chart fantastic Derek Henry got four carries for 17 yards had two catches for 22 yards Jarrell Casey ended up with one tackle and was out on the field during a couple defensive touchdowns Brett Kern got in one punt on the day a punt in the Pro Bowl one punt punt for 42 yards. So pretty good showing there from the Tennessee Titans. Hopefully, you know, a couple of those guys who are free agents, Tannehill and Henry, are able to come back to this team.

But we'll talk more about that in tomorrow's episode. We're going to break down who's a free agent on the Titans, talk a little bit about who to re-sign and who maybe the Titans should let walk and what the different options are and the different contract types that we have. So before we do go, like I said, the terrible and tragic passing of Kobe Bryant has rocked the sports world and me personally too. It's been a tough day in general and I'm sure a lot of you guys listening who are around the same age or a you know, a little older, a little younger feel the same. Obviously, it hurt a lot of the NFL players playing in the Pro Bowl. I mentioned some of the celebrations,

some of the fadeaway jumpers the players were doing to kind of pay homage to Kobe Bryant, as a lot of people who we're seeing in the professional athletic world right now grew up watching Kobe Bryant. And as a lot of people have mentioned, seeing in the professional athletic world right now grew up watching Kobe Bryant. And as a lot of people have mentioned, he was kind of the Michael Jordan for the generation that we're seeing dominate sports right now. Some of the quotes from some of the guys at the Pro Bowl in regards to Kobe Bryant felt like it was just kind of an important time to read some of these. Derrick Henry, who professed his love for Kobe Bryant

here growing up, he said, and quote, it's indescribable. Kobe is my favorite athlete of all time. I have four or five of his jerseys. I still don't want to believe it. I guess it will really hit me when I get home and look at all my jerseys. It's so sad. He's a legend, an icon. To hear his oldest daughter was with him, I can't put it into words. It's so sad he's a legend an icon to hear his oldest daughter was with him I can't put it into words it's it's so sad they they talked to Ryan Tannehill as well some of his quotes it's so tragic I was a huge Kobe fan Mamba I loved his game his mentality I loved watching him play I was shocked when I heard it and so saddened we were were in the locker room. Some of the guys told me and it didn't feel real. Jarrell Casey said, you know,

to hear the tragic news of him and his family, it's definitely devastating. I'm going to keep him and his family in our prayers and that's all we can do at this moment. I have great respect for Kobe. You know, I don't cross over too much on the show with different sports and teams and things like that. I try to keep it mostly Titans.

But this really had an impact on my day. Kobe Bryant had an impact on my life. And a lot of these players that we cover and we follow and we care about, he had an impact on them too. Not just in sports, in business, and a lot of things that he was pursuing after his career. So just wanted to take a few extra moments and just think about the families of everybody involved. The details are still coming out to not only lose your husband, but to lose your oldest daughter.

What a tough time for his wife and his remaining daughters who survive him now. Just a really sad situation. And ultimately, it's a good opportunity I don't ever get too deep on the show or anything like that for you guys but a good opportunity to maybe call your loved ones your family your friends and just let them know you're thinking about them because you never know when tragedy could strike so before things get too off the rails for me here I appreciate you guys hanging with me during this pretty rough episode for me and a lot of people.

Rough day in the sports community. So we will be back tomorrow talking, like I said, free agents to be who the Titans should bring back, what kind of contracts they're looking at. So we will be back to do that. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.