Why the Tennessee Titans took the right approach in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft
The Tennessee Titans were in an interesting position with the No. 19 overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. When teams pick later in the first round, I always feel like they should be looking for longterm impact players. And that's certainly what the Titans are hoping they found with Jeffery Simmons. The former Mississippi […]
The Tennessee Titans were in an interesting position with the No. 19 overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft.
When teams pick later in the first round, I always feel like they should be looking for longterm impact players. And that's certainly what the Titans are hoping they found with Jeffery Simmons.
The former Mississippi State defensive lineman was viewed by a lot of draft analysts as a top five talent in the draft. But a video of Simmons striking a woman while he was in high school, combined with a torn ACL in February, caused his draft stock to slip a bit.
Tennessee, however, went into the draft on Thursday night looking for the player that could best help the team in the longterm. They weren't looking for a player to make an instant impact in 2019.
And I think that was the right approach by general manager Jon Robinson and the Titans front office.
I never think it's a good idea to count on a rookie, outside of a few notable exceptions, to take the team where it wants to go. If the Titans went into the draft looking for a "missing piece" to take the team over the top in 2019, then their roster probably wouldn't be as good as they thought it was.
Instead, the Titans built what they think is a playoff team through free agency and previous drafts. They're using this year's draft to help the team achieve sustainable success and depth.
This is how teams like the New England Patriots approach the draft. So it should be no surprise that Robinson, along with Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, are instituting that same philosophy in Nashville.
When will Simmons be ready to contribute?
Simmons told reporters on a conference call on Thursday night that he should be able to run in two or three weeks. From there, Simmons said his recovery will take seven to eight months.
Robinson, however, wouldn't give a timetable for Simmons' return.
If Simmons' recovery goes as he hopes, then it's possible he could be healthy by late October and ready to contribute by early November. But I wouldn't expect much from Simmons as a rookie.
Fans shouldn't let that bother them, though. Simmons has the potential to be a dominant player for a long time for the Titans. His torn ACL will eventually be a distant afterthought for Tennessee fans.
Featured image via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
