Tennessee Titans: The Pros and Cons of Drafting a Receiver in Round One
There is certainly potential for the Tennessee Titans to select a receiver with their first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. That decision would make sense, but there are also some fair arguments against the idea. PROS They'll need a replacement for Corey Davis in 2021. Corey Davis' NFL career hasn't been electric by any […]
There is certainly potential for the Tennessee Titans to select a receiver with their first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
That decision would make sense, but there are also some fair arguments against the idea.
PROS
They'll need a replacement for Corey Davis in 2021.
Corey Davis' NFL career hasn't been electric by any stretch of the imagination, but he has been an important contributor for the Titans since he was drafted in 2017.
Because he hasn't produced at a very high level, though, the Titans are all but certainly going to decline his pricey fifth-year contract option at some point before the start of Training Camp.
That would mean that Davis' rookie contract would expire following the 2020 season and he would be headed for free agency.
In that highly-likely scenario, the Titans would need a new starter at the receiver position.
Taking one in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft would help them get a head start on that front.
The Titans' current depth at that position is weak.
It's abundantly clear who the Titans' starters at receiver will be in 2020. What isn't so clear, however, is who will be backing them up.
If the 2020 season were to start today, either Kalif Raymond or Cameron Batson would be thrust into the No. 4 receiver spot. That's pretty alarming.
Raymond and Batson both have skills, namely speed, that allow them to stick on the Titans' roster, but neither is the caliber of player that can be relied upon as a quality depth option.
The Titans would be in a world of hurt if something happened to Davis, A.J. Brown or Adam Humphries and they were forced to give Raymond or Batson those snaps.
Drafting a receiver in the first round wouldn't just benefit the Titans' receiver depth, it would transform it.
The team would go from having three quality options at WR that had no choice but to stay healthy all season to having four bona fide threats to play around with.
There's a potential for added speed.
One trait, in particular, is lacking from the Titans' receiving corps: speed.
Sure, Raymond and Batson are fast players. But neither of them is a game-changer.
They aren't good with the ball in their hands. They aren't really "weapons." They're just cogs in the system.
There are multiple good options in this year's draft class when it comes to outside speed threats at wide receiver. The late first-round could be a good place for the Titans to nab one.
CONS
The Titans don't throw the ball very much.
Drafting a receiver in the first round is not worth the investment if the team isn't committed to giving the player a high amount of volume and attention.
Arguably, that's why Davis has never shined all that brightly for the Titans despite being a top-five pick.
If the Titans were to go back to the drawing board and try again with a receiver in the first round, there would be a big possibility for the same thing to happen.
In 2019, the Titans didn't throw the ball very much. Arguably, they didn't have to because of how explosive and efficient QB Ryan Tannehill was on his limited pass attempts.
But the identity of this Titans offense, especially after the news of RB Derrick Henry being franchise-tagged, is the running game.
That's not exactly a viable situation for a young receiver.
The draftee probably wouldn't get a chance to start as a rookie.
Even if the Titans were to draft a receiver in the first round, the trio of Davis, Humphries and Brown would more-than-likely remain their starters on offense at receiver.
Brown was exhilarating as a rookie in 2019, Humphries proved to be a viable chain-mover when healthy in his first year with the team and Davis is seemingly beloved by the coaching staff because of his willingness to block and do the dirty work.
Drafting a receiver in the first round would have the potential to create a logjam at the position in 2020.
As a result, a more-than-fair counter-argument to the Titans drafting a receiver in round one would be that, while they need a receiver at some point early in the draft, the first round might be a bit too early.
MORE: Why the Titans' Receiver Depth Isn't Good Enough
Cover image: Jay Biggerstaff & Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today
