Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans MUST PASS on Edge at #7, Top Day 2 Pass Rushers & Day 3 Project Picks

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Tennessee Titans absolutely cannot draft an edge rusher in the first round. I'll explain why on today's edition of the Locked On Titans podcast. You are Locked On Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked On Titans Podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland, Titans fans. Today's edition of the Locked On Titans Podcast is brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to faster.

Starting point is 00:00:42 Post your job for free at linkedin.com slash locked on NFL. That's linkedin.com slash locked on NFL to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. The Tennessee Titans absolutely cannot take an edge rusher in the first round, but they absolutely do need to take an edge rusher multiple times in this draft. I'm going to talk about the guys at the top of the board, the guys in the mid rounds, and some projects on day three. Before we get into it, thank you for making the Locked on Titans podcast

Starting point is 00:01:11 your first listen each and every day. Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. Make sure you get subscribed, stay subscribed. It's your team every day. We are in the midst of the 2024 Locked on Titans NFL Draft Preview Series. We have completed the entire offensive side of the ball. Go back and check those episodes out if you missed them.

Starting point is 00:01:35 I know my everydayers did not. But now it's time to get defensive. So we're going to dive into the edge rushing class. Let's get it. Number one, Dallas Turner. Dallas Turner is the top edge rus into the edge rushing class. Let's get it. Number one, Dallas Turner. Dallas Turner is the top edge rusher in this draft class. Six foot two, 247 pounds, out of Alabama. Only 21 years old.

Starting point is 00:01:53 He's got 34 inch arms. So great length, great explosion, good speed. He's a great athlete. He also plays with great motor as well. So getting a guy who plays hard with all that athleticism, good pop in his hands, but he's a bit thin, doesn't really have the bend and the flexibility. I don't know if that's a word, but I know you guys know what I mean.

Starting point is 00:02:15 Needs to work on his hand technique, miss some tackles. Look, at the end of the day, none of the edge rushers at the top. Luetula 2. 6'4", 259 out of UCLA. Great hands. Got great pass rush moves. Also plays with good motor. An explosive first step.

Starting point is 00:02:37 He does have some bend. He has some versatility to cover as well. But he's got the medical issue with the neck. He didn't play football for two years because of a medical issue. Doesn't have great power, not long arms, didn't play well against the best competition. And then you have Jared Verse from Florida State, 6'3", 254. He's 23 years old with 33-inch arms.

Starting point is 00:03:01 Yes, he's got a solid frame, does well with speed to power, plays with violent hands, but doesn't have bend, doesn't have that length. He's an older prospect, inconsistent against the run. At the end of the day, none of these edge rushers, none of them, are good enough prospects for the Tennessee Titans to pass on the offensive tackles and the wide receivers available. There's just no way. You cannot take Dallas Turner at seven. Even if you trade back, you should not be taking

Starting point is 00:03:25 one of these edge rushers. When you have Joe Alt, Fashanu, Latham, Fuwaga, like Fatanu even, or Roma Dunze, Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Neighbors, Brian Thomas Jr., or Donai Mitchell. Like there's no way that these three top edge rushers are good enough to pass on those positions of need. Like, it just doesn't make any sense to me. So anybody talking about the Titans taking edge at seven or in the first round period, it doesn't make any sense to me. Now, you start to look down the board at pick number 38.

Starting point is 00:03:59 That is really where edge rusher comes into focus for me with the Tennessee Titans. I am fully on board with the Titans taking an edge rusher in the second round, whether it be at 38 or whether there's a trade back in the second round and the Titans get back to somewhere between 40 and 60. I would love to take an edge rusher there. And the guys who could potentially be there, number one on the list, Darius Robinson from Mizzou.

Starting point is 00:04:21 Now, Robinson was invited to the combine, or invited to the draft. He's expecting to be a first-round pick, and I think he probably will be. But if for some reason that he's there at 38, the Titans should run to the podium. 6'5", 285 pounds, only 22 years old, 34 1⁄2-inch arms. I mean, he's got elite size, length, frame for a defensive lineman and an edge rusher. He's a versatile guy who can play on the inside. He started as a defensive tackle in college before moving out to edge his last year in college.

Starting point is 00:04:54 So he's got that versatility. He's got great pass rush moves, bull rush, swim move, club move, a cross shot. He's got flexibility to bend around the edge as well. Look, his testing agility numbers were terrible. They were pathetic. And sometimes he can miss on his hand strikes. And if he does, he's not going to win. He doesn't have elite speed and he's missed some tackles.

Starting point is 00:05:16 But at the end of the day, a guy with that inside-outside versatility, those pass rush moves, that relentlessness and motor, he compares to like a Cam Jordan, a Danico Autry type guy, it would be an absolute perfect fit for the Titans. But again, I don't think that he'll be there at 38. Someone who we haven't talked about a lot, who I think makes sense for the Titans, is Chop Robinson from Penn State.

Starting point is 00:05:40 6'2", 254 pounds, 32-inch arms. He's only 21 years old. He has elite first-step explosiveness off the line of scrimmage. He does have good bend. He's able to dip his shoulder underneath offensive linemen. He forced three forced fumbles. So he's a guy with ball production. And he is physical in run defense.

Starting point is 00:06:02 He is willing to play against the run. The problem is, most of his production came in a couple of games. It's not like he was productive throughout a whole season. When he gets contact on his rush, it can stop him because he's not a very big guy. Again, 6'2", 250, with only 32 1⁄2 inch arms. So he doesn't have the length or the size

Starting point is 00:06:23 that you would necessarily want. Doesn't have polished pass rush moves either. He wins with speed and only speed. So he needs to add weight at the next level. He needs to develop more pass rush moves and have more technique with his hands. But he can come in and be a third pass rusher for the Titans. You kick Arden Key inside to play that Danico Autry role on third downs and passing situations. You do Arden Key inside to play that Danico Autry role on third downs and passing situations, okay? You do that, and then you bring in Chop Robinson as a designated pass rusher on third downs. Let him rotate in, and that will give him time to develop those pass rush moves,

Starting point is 00:06:57 to put more weight on his body. He's only 21, so he can definitely get bigger even though he's thin right now. So Chop Robinson is a guy who, again, like Darius Robinson, is expected to go in the first round, but if either of those guys are there at 38, I think it makes a ton of sense for the Titans to take those guys. Now, a guy who should be there at 38, who I have mock drafted a ton for the Titans, is Chris Braswell from Alabama.

Starting point is 00:07:23 6'3", 250 pounds, 33 1⁄4-inch arms. He's only 22 1⁄2 years old. He has a great cross-chop move where he's chopping the hands across the body of the offensive lineman to knock him away and move forward up the field. He has good bend. He's very good in run defense on the edge. Very good. He's got a good speed to power move that you blast off the line of scrimmage and you get in the offensive tackle's

Starting point is 00:07:51 chest and you bowl him over. He's good at shedding blocks. So good at shedding blocks with his hands and knocking the hands away of the offensive lineman and run defense. He's versatile as well. Braswell has the ability to drop back in coverage. And I have talked about this quite a bit. But I think in this new defense under Denard Wilson, the Titans are going to do a ton of simulated pressures where they bring an inside linebacker up the middle on a blitz and drop a defensive end into coverage. They bring a slot cornerback on a blitz

Starting point is 00:08:21 and drop an outside linebacker into coverage. Like Harold Landry, Chris Braswell has the ability to be fluid in his drops and play in zone coverage. So I think that's something important for the Titans' defensive scheme. So Braswell is a perfect fit for me in the second round for the Titans. The last guy that I want to talk about here, though, is Marshawn Nealon. All right, Marshawn Nealon is out of Western Michigan, 6'3", 267, 34 1⁄2-inch arms.

Starting point is 00:08:50 So great length. He's 22, almost 23 years old, though. But he's got an ideal build for a defensive lineman and edge rusher. He drives with his legs, great lower body power. He plays with incredible motor as well. The guy is always running hot. Good in run defense. He's got great lower body power. He plays with incredible motor as well. The guy is always running hot. Good in run defense. He's got great vision too.

Starting point is 00:09:09 He keeps his eyes on the running back. Keeps his eyes on the quarterback. So he's never out of position or caught off guard. He also, even for a guy his size at 267, heavier than all the guys that we've talked about except Darius Robinson so far. He has the ability to drop back in zone coverage and he looks agile when he does it as well. Now, he played in the MAC, the Mid-American Conference. The competition

Starting point is 00:09:29 was not the best. He doesn't have great bend. He's got to work on his hands and having better technique. And he didn't have elite production also. But when you have a guy with that size, that frame, that motor, that vision, I think it would be a very nice fit for the Tennessee Titans in the second round if they trade back a little bit from 38. I think Braswell and Nylander guys, who if you trade back, would make a ton of sense. But if the Titans don't take an edge rusher with their second round pick,

Starting point is 00:09:57 there are still a ton of options on day two for them. Let's say they trade back, get a third round pick, and we're going to go over those options now. two for them. Let's say they trade back, get a third round pick, and we're going to go over those options now. Before we do though, do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. When you're hiring for your small business, you want to find quality professionals that are right for the role. That's why you have to check out LinkedIn Jobs. LinkedIn Jobs has the tools to help you find the right professionals for your team faster and for free. LinkedIn isn't just another job board. LinkedIn helps you find professionals to hire that you can't find

Starting point is 00:10:34 anywhere else. Even those who aren't actively searching for a new job, but might be open to the perfect role. In a given month, over 70% of LinkedIn users don't visit other leading job sites. So if you're not looking on LinkedIn, you're looking in the wrong place. On LinkedIn, 86% of small businesses get a qualified candidate within 24 hours. Hire professionals,

Starting point is 00:10:58 like a professional, on LinkedIn. Post your job for free at linkedin.com slash locked on NFL. That's linkedin.com slash locked on NFL. That's linkedin.com slash locked on NFL to post your job for free. Terms and conditions do apply. Titans fans, let's continue today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast, continuing our 2024 Locked on Titans NFL Draft Preview Series.

Starting point is 00:11:36 We're finally on to the defensive side of the ball, and we are talking about edge rusher, which I think is one of the Tennessee Titans' top three needs as a team. We have offensive tackle, we have edge rusher, and we have wide receiver. Those are my top three needs for the Tennessee Titans. So I'm spending a full day here on the edge position, just like I did with wide receiver and just like I did with offensive tackle. We talked about the top guys on the board, second round and first round options.

Starting point is 00:12:03 Now I want to move into third round options, maybe late second round options if they get drafted a little bit higher. Before I do, thank you for making Locked on Titans your first listen each and every day. I want to remind you guys that 7 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday night, the Locked on NFL mock draft goes live.

Starting point is 00:12:24 That's where each host for each show makes a pick for their team. So I'm going to be picking for the Tennessee Titans with all the other Locked On NFL hosts. It is my favorite thing that we do here at Locked On. And again, going live 7 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday night. It's going to be on Locked On Sports Today, the 24-7 streaming channel that's on YouTube, and also free on Amazon Fire TV.

Starting point is 00:12:49 So Locked On Sports Today, 24-7. Check that out Wednesday night, 7 p.m. Eastern. I will be making my pick for the Tennessee Titans. But with that being said, diving into the rest of this class, Austin Booker is the next guy we got to talk about out of Kansas. And remember, Scott Fuchs is now the assistant offensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans.

Starting point is 00:13:13 He should have some good intel on Austin Booker. But Booker is 6'4", 240 pounds. That's the lightest guy that we've talked about so far. He's got 33.8-inch arms, though, so long arms. He's only 21 years old. He's got great length. He is an exceptional athlete as well. Good inside moves, so he can use that speed to widen out offensive tackles

Starting point is 00:13:39 and then make a good inside move to get to the quarterback. Plays with great motor as well, which is very important for me with pass rushers. You can never give up in pass rushing. You have to continuously work. Good in run defense. Has good speed to power, and he can generate a lot of power with that speed. Good range with that speed as well to track down ball carriers, or if the quarterback is running out of the pocket, he can track them down.

Starting point is 00:14:02 Very good with his hands, and he was productive in college as well. But he does only have one year of true experience. He was productive, but it's only one year of experience. And he may be long with long arms, but he is thin, thin, thin at 240. Doesn't have great bend. For a guy his size, you would expect better bend. Needs to work on a secondary rush plan, like after his first move doesn't work, what's he going to do next? And he missed

Starting point is 00:14:29 some tackles. But I think a lot of that stuff that we're talking about is about his strength. So if you get him in, like we talked about with Chop Robinson, an athletic guy, Booker has better length though. You let him put some weight on his frame, and you might have yourself a stud in the mid-rounds in year two or three. So Austin Booker makes a ton of sense if the Titans trade back, maybe, into the late second round. But third round would make a lot more sense if the Titans do find a way to pick up a third-round pick. Another guy is Braylon Trice out of Washington.

Starting point is 00:15:03 6'3", 259 pounds. So a much bigger guy, much thicker guy. Only 32 1⁄2-inch arms, though. And he's 23 years old already. This is a very old draft class. I talked about that on yesterday's show. My everydayers will remember, but a lot of older prospects here. But incredibly productive for Braylon Trice.

Starting point is 00:15:23 He had 80 pressures last year for Washington. 80! Now, their opponents were down a lot because Washington scored so much, so it gave ample opportunity for him to pass rush, but 80 pressures. I don't care how you got him. That's impressive. He's got size, great strength, power in his hands, plays with great motor. His engine is always running hot hot and he's able to drive offensive linemen back off the line of scrimmage so all of that is important but doesn't have great bend and agility needs to play with better hand technique which can be improved at the next level with that size and that strength he doesn't have anywhere near the range of a guy

Starting point is 00:16:02 like Austin Booker who we just talked about like he's not going to be tracking down running backs as they bounce outside or these scrambling quarterbacks. He's going to have trouble with that. And at the end of the day at Washington, he didn't face a ton of great competition in terms of offensive tackle play. So is he going to be able to use that power as effectively at the next level? It's worth wondering. So the next guy that we're going to talk about is Jonah Ellis out of Utah, 6'2", 248 pounds, 33-inch arms. He's only 21 years old, so a younger prospect. His dad was actually the defensive line coach at Utah, and you could tell that he is a coach's son.

Starting point is 00:16:42 He has a great rush plan. He really understands how to set up offensive tackles, how to change his plan throughout the game, plays with good bend, good dip. He's able to dip that inside shoulder and get around offensive tackles. He also plays with motor. Again, coach's son. He plays hard all the time, and he's got some good punch power at times. He's able to really jab that hand into offensive linemen, but the problem is he's thin, all right? And when you're thin like that, your speed to power moves are going to be affected because you just can't generate the power even if you generate the speed because you're so thin and don't have the muscle mass. The competition at Utah that he faced,

Starting point is 00:17:21 again, another guy like Braylon Trice just didn't see a lot of top-tier offensive tackle play, and he just needs to be more violent with his hands. He's got power in the punch, but he's got to be more violent with continuing his hand usage throughout the rep. I think that Ellis makes a lot of sense. I think with that bend and that dip and that thin frame and him being a younger guy at 21, an NFL team is really going to like him and say, hey, we'll put strength on him. We'll teach him hand technique. We'll teach him how to use that speed to power. But we're taking this guy with this bend and this dip and this age and this youth

Starting point is 00:17:53 and a coach's son who you know is going to have high football character. So Braylon Trice can make some sense. But out of all these guys, my favorite guy is Muhammad Kamara. All right. Kamara is out of Colorado State. 6'1", 248 pounds, 32 inch arms, but he's 25 years old.

Starting point is 00:18:16 Alright. He's got incredible experience. He's 25 years old. He's been in college forever. Okay. So great experience, but he's also years old. He's been in college forever. Okay, so great experience, but he's also really explosive off the snap. Like this guy is bursting out of his stance when the ball is snapped. Great with his hand technique. He's an older guy, and he is polished. Great pass rush moves. Plays with great motor as well.

Starting point is 00:18:40 And look, he's a short guy. Shout out short kings. I mean, I have a hard time calling him short when he's 6'1", but I guess in the NFL sphere, that is short for a defensive lineman. But because of that, taller offensive tackles have a hard time reaching him. They have a hard time getting to him. So he's able to stay low and stay away from the hands of the offensive lineman. Look, he doesn't have great length.

Starting point is 00:19:04 Again, short arms, 32 inches. His age, he's 25. He is who he is at this point. You're not going to get, you know, you're not going to get much more in terms of, like, let me say, potential. Like, it's not like he's going to grow into

Starting point is 00:19:22 a much better player than he is right now. He's 25. He is who he is. But who he is right now is someone who could be productive right away. And I think because of the age, because of the length, he's going to drop until about the fourth round. And if the Titans could pick him up at 106, I think he's got like some Justin Matabike potential. So I really like Muhammad Kamara. I understand the downsides to Muhammad Kamara, but I think with where the Titans are at right now with their depth on the defensive line, you get a guy like that who can step in right away and make plays. I think that would be incredibly important. The last guy that I want to mention in this grouping is Adisa Isaac from Penn State, 6'4", 247 pounds, 33.8-inch arms,

Starting point is 00:20:07 so long arms, and he's only 22 1⁄2. I think he's a guy who has inside-outside versatility. If he puts on more weight at 247, no, he's not going to be able to do that. But if he puts on more weight at the next level, I think he can. Great leverage against the run. He's not going to get out-leveraged. He's not going to get turned. Heaged. He's not going to get turned. He plays with great control in his hands.

Starting point is 00:20:27 Really understands how to control offensive linemen. Shed the block. Throw him away. He's a great edge setter against the run. And Arden Key is more of a pass rusher than an edge defender. He's not a very good run defender on the edge. He's a pass rusher only. So you get a guy like Isaac who's very good against the run,

Starting point is 00:20:44 and that could create a good trio of edge rushers for the Titans. Good inside moves with his hands. Very strong motor and pursuit. He doesn't have great bend. He doesn't have great rush moves. He doesn't have the best athleticism. But I think he's a guy who, in the fourth round, you get that run defense,

Starting point is 00:21:04 you get that length, that age, you put some more weight on him and you could have a very, very strong edge rusher, a power edge rusher to go across from Harold Landry, who's really a speed rush guy. So those are the guys who I think make sense for the Titans on day two or in the mid rounds. Now, we got to talk about some project picks. Some edge rushers who the Titans could take on day three. What they could develop into superstars.

Starting point is 00:21:29 I always have a few in this range that I really, really like. And I can't wait to tell you about them. Before I do though, I do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by Monopoly Go. Alright. I'm a competitive person. It's a Go. Alright. I'm a competitive person. It's a fact. People know

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Starting point is 00:23:00 Titans fans, let's cap off. Today's preview of the Edge Rush class in the NFL Draft. We've talked about the Day 1, Day 2 draft. We've talked about the day one, day two prospects. We've talked about the mid round prospects again. Now it's time for some project picks. All right. Teaser for you are little Easter egg for you guys. If you get the reference, let me know down below, but I love some of these project edge rushers at the bottom. And I talked about one of them already when we did our mock draft recently. And it was Gabriel Murphy out of UCLA, 6'2", 247 pounds, 30 and a half inch arms. Oh, gosh.

Starting point is 00:23:37 And he's 23 and a half years old already. Look, with those short arms, he's a T-Rex. All right, there's no other way around it. He's a T-Rex, all right? There's no other way around it. He's a T-Rex. I mean, his arms are two inches shorter than anybody else that we've talked about. It's kind of insane to look at when you see it, but with those short arms, he's got an incredibly quick upper body, quick hands, great pass rush moves. He'll shoot gaps. He uses his hands to knock away things. He's just got a really quick upper body with his arms and his hands, which he should at that point.

Starting point is 00:24:08 The smaller the lever, the more control that you have. Good first step explosiveness, but again, those short arms. Doesn't really have great bend with the short arms. He's not a great tackler, but late in the draft, sixth round, seventh round, I would love the Titans to take a chance on him because at that point, you're just getting a guy who's ready to come in and play right now at 23 and a half years old.

Starting point is 00:24:31 He may have short arms, but he's going to come in right away and be a pass rusher and be able to get some things done for you one-on-one, which is important. Javon Solomon is a guy I really like out of Troy. Six foot tall, 246 pounds, 33.8 inch arms. So he's short, but he's got great length in the arms. He's 23 years old, big hands.

Starting point is 00:24:54 I mean, he has monstrous hands, okay? Great bend off the edge, which is such a rare trait. How many guys have we talked about that have good bend out of all these guys? Two, three at max? So that's something the teams will take a chance trait. How many guys have we talked about that have good bend out of all these guys? Two? Three? At max? So that's something the teams will take a chance on. Very good with his hand usage with big mitts like he has. He should be good with his hand

Starting point is 00:25:13 usage. He's also a guy who will shoot gaps and so good in run defense. Just so good. He had 17 sacks in 2023. Now of course, he's playing at Troy. So the competition makes you wonder. But when you're that productive, what am I worried about? The size is an issue at six foot. But like Muhammad Kamara, he's short. It's going to be hard to get to him for taller offensive

Starting point is 00:25:37 linemen. Needs to work on his hand technique. He has strong hands, but he's got to work on technique and his pass rush moves, rushing with power, and he just is one speed all the time. Like, imagine if an MLB pitcher against an MLB batter just threw his fastball every single pitch. Even if it's fast, eventually, you're going to catch up to the timing, and offensive tackles have the ability to catch up to the timing of Javon Solomon, but if he's able to have more tempo in his rush plan, he can maybe throw off offensive tackles a little bit more. So that's something that I would look for him to improve on at the next level. My favorite project pick at the end of the draft, though, is Jalek's Hunt out of Houston Christian.

Starting point is 00:26:20 A former safety. He used to be a safety before converting to a linebacker and then eventually a pass rusher. Great length. He's 6'3", 250, 34.3-inch arms, 23 years old. Great athleticism, great testing numbers, great work ethic as well. He's a guy who has great football character. He's been incredibly productive in his two years at Houston Christian.

Starting point is 00:26:44 He plays with physicality as well. With a guy who's a great athlete, sometimes they aren't super physical. Well, Jalek's Hunt is physical. He doesn't have the best power, all right? He's going to need to work on strength and playing with more power. He's got to work on his rush technique, his pass rush moves, all of that. Got to get better at run defense. And of course, he came from Houston Christian, so you have to wonder about the competition. But on day three of the draft, fifth round, sixth round, Titans want to take a project pick like Jalen,

Starting point is 00:27:14 Jalex Hunt. I would love it. I would absolutely love it. Now there are a couple other guys that I want to mention here. Xavier Thomas from Clemson, Javante Jean-Baptiste from Notre Dame, Nelson Caesar from Houston. All options, but I'm looking at the seventh round for any of those guys. So they could be options, but it would be late on day three. But with that

Starting point is 00:27:36 being said, that is going to wrap up my breakdown of the edge rushing class. Let me know which guys you like the best, where you're willing to take them. Would you take an edge rusher at seven or in the first round? I wouldn't. And I'm going to call you crazy in the comments if you say so. But hey, let me know either way. But as always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland. And this was Locked on Titans.

Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans MUST PASS on Edge at #7, Top Day 2 Pass Rushers & Day 3 Project Picks

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