REACTION: What the Titans are getting in second-round pick CB Roger McCreary
The Tennessee Titans set the NFL world on fire in round one of the 2022 NFL Draft when they traded WR A.J. Brown. Then, they moved back from their original 26th overall selection to pick 35. With that second-round selection, The Titans picked Auburn cornerback Roger McCreary. There was speculation that the Titans would go […]
The Tennessee Titans set the NFL world on fire in round one of the 2022 NFL Draft when they traded WR A.J. Brown. Then, they moved back from their original 26th overall selection to pick 35. With that second-round selection, The Titans picked Auburn cornerback Roger McCreary.
There was speculation that the Titans would go on the offensive side of the football with this pick. QB was reportedly on the table with Desmond Ridder and Malik Willis still on the board. The offensive line needs another impact player as well. Alas, the Titans opted for another player in the secondary.
Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn
McCreary is an exciting CB prospect, and he fits what the Titans want to do on defense, too. He likes physicality, and he will come up and make plays in the run game as well. That will show up in the NFL. At 5'11" and 190 pounds, he is not the biggest CB. He also has shorter arms for the position. McCreary makes up for that with his aggressive play and impressive instincts in both man and zone coverage.
His best film is in press-man coverage, and the Titans are not afraid to play that with their cornerbacks, for better or worse. They trust their safeties behind them. That's for a good reason. McCreary can get a bit grabby in coverage downfield at times, but that improved over his time with the Tigers. His ball production is some of the best in the class at the position.
Over his final three seasons at Auburn, he had six interceptions and 29 pass deflections. McCreary was consistently one of the best pieces on the Auburn defense throughout his college career. His best overall season was probably in 2020 when he had three interceptions and seven tackles for loss. That TFL number is impressive for a CB in the SEC.
He believes that he can be versatile for the Titans. They could certainly use that since they just used a very valuable selection on him.
McCreary's talent is deserving of a selection in this range of the draft. That being said, secondary was not the biggest area of need for the Titans. They could use more CB depth, sure, but there are glaring holes elsewhere on the depth chart. Addressing interior offensive line probably would have made more sense from a roster standpoint, but the front office must have not preferred the available prospects at those positions.
Featured Image via USA TODAY-Sports
