Will Robinson Maintain First-Round Variety?

In four years, Tennessee Titans general manager has made five first-round picks -- each at a different position
Will Robinson Maintain First-Round Variety?
Will Robinson Maintain First-Round Variety? /

Through four years as Tennessee Titans general manager, Jon Robinson has spread his top picks throughout the roster.

From 2016-19 he has made five first-round selections and all five played different positions.

It started with tackle Jack Conklin in 2016. Then came wide receiver Corey Davis and cornerback Adoreé Jackson in 2017. Inside linebacker Rashaan Evans was the choice in 2018 and defensive end Jefferey Simmons got the call in 2019. That’s two on offense, three on defense. One pass catcher and one pass defender. One on each side of the line of scrimmage.

Is this the year Robinson finally doubles up?

“I think you’re always looking at certainly the current roster and how you’re going to construct that, and how those players [you draft] are going to impact this year’s team,” he said this week. “I think that’s first and foremost.”

The variety of Robinson’s choices to this point is a bit unusual.

Go back to the start of the Titans era (1999), when Jevon Kearse was the 16 overall selection. He was the third defensive end taken in the first round in a six-year span. That run started with Henry Ford (26 overall) in 1994 and continued with Kenny Holmes (18 overall) in 1997.

Wide receivers Kenny Britt (No. 30 in 2009) and Kendall Wright (No. 20 in 2012) were taken three years apart. Cornerbacks Andre Woolfolk (No. 28 in 2003) and Pacman Jones (No. 6 in 2005) effectively came back-to-back because Tennessee did not make a first-round selection in 2004. Then, of course, there was the quest for a quarterback that went from Vince Young (No. 3 in 2006) to Jake Locker (No. 8 in 2011) to Marcus Mariota (No. 2 in 2015).

To Robinson’s point about the current roster, it needs attention in certain areas that could lead to a round-one repeat. Cornerback is most obvious with Logan Ryan still a free agent and LeShaun Sims now in Cincinnati. There also is a possibility Tennessee will target its right tackle of the future following Conklin’s move to Cleveland. The defensive line could afford to be buffeted in the wake of Jurrell Casey’s trade to Denver. Wide receiver is not out of the question either given the caliber of prospects at that spot, but the number of potential quality wide receivers likely makes it more logical to wait.

Of the positions Robinson has not addressed in the first round, running back is the leading candidate for this time. There is an opening on the depth chart behind Derrick Henry following Dion Lewis’ release and it is likely one or more of the top prospects at that spot still will be available late in the first round.

Outside linebacker is another possibility. Although depth is not an issue, the potential to add a real playmaker there would have to be considered if the opportunity arose.

Tight end is a longshot. Quarterback and safety seem highly unlikely. Guards and centers are not common first-round options and the Titans don’t need one enough to make such a move.

“[We are] excited to continue to build this football team and try to improve on what we were able to accomplish last year,” Robinson said. “… Some positions are a little more top-heavy maybe than others, but we feel that … there’s guys in all of the rounds that we’ll look to try to add to help the football team.”


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David Boclair
DAVID BOCLAIR

David Boclair has covered the Tennessee Titans for multiple news outlets since 1998. He is award-winning journalist who has covered a wide range of topics in Middle Tennessee as well as Dallas-Fort Worth, where he worked for three different newspapers from 1987-96. As a student journalist at Southern Methodist University he covered the NCAA's decision to impose the so-called death penalty on the school's football program.