As Pre-Draft Visit Season Ends, Titans Meet with Tulane RB Tyjae Spears
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans have a major hole at running back as we speak. Of course, they have the “King” Derrick Henry in tow, but one of the key aspects of having Henry is the need to have a scat back to complement him on the depth chart. A back that can thrive on third downs and has the skillset to be used as a receiver out of the backfield. That role was held by Dontrell Hilliard last season and guys like Dion Lewis before him. With the Titans missing that style of player, it appears they could be looking in the draft to fill the void.
Enter Tyjae Spears from Tulane. Today is the last day teams can host players at their facilities and Spears is confirmed to be meeting with the Titans before the visit deadline. Spears wouldn’t fall into the category of a satellite back as he has some more ability running the football than most of those. He is great out of the backfield as a receiver, but also can run the ball with more success than a Hilliard type. While the Titans have many needs across the roster, a player like Spears could make sense for them in the middle rounds of the draft.
Here is what Sports Illustrated’s Draft Bible had to say about Spears:
“Tyjae Spears is at his best when he is in a zone-blocking scheme, where he is able to use his patience behind the line of scrimmage to set up his explosive running in the open field. He is comfortable waiting for zone blocks to develop to open up cutback lanes. Spears has great top speed that allows him to break a lot of plays into big gains. Once out in space, he is very much a north-south runner that would rather run through defenders than around them. Spears has a knack for always fighting for yards, which really sets the tone for his team. He has great open-field vision combined with the footwork to make sharp cuts and gain as many yards as possible. What is probably Spears’s most polarizing trait as a player is the heart he plays with every time he steps on the field. Despite his smaller stature, nothing seems to intimidate him. Whether it’s a defensive lineman he has to block in pass-pro or a 240-pound linebacker in the open field, Spears does not back down from a fight and always gives 100%. Having this trait demonstrates his love for the game and desire to improve, which he has every year at Tulane.”
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