Breaking down the Tennessee Titans' 2018 draft class.
Round 1, No. 22 overall: Rashaan Evans, ILB, Alabama
My take: A 40-yard dash didn't matter. Size didn't matter. Titans general manager Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Vrabel want football players, and they got a really good one in Evans. They were surprised he was still available at No. 22 and didn't have to pay much to trade up for him. Evans should become the Titans' rock in the middle at inside linebacker for a long time and should be an upgrade over Avery Williamson, who recently left in free agency. Robinson described Evans as an "old soul." He raved about his attention to detail in coverages and responsibilities when they visited with him extensively at Alabama's pro day. Vrabel said Evans has "snap," "power," and "explosiveness that shows up on tape."
The Titans made a strong pick to kick off Vrabel's tenure at head coach and Evans is a great fit for what they are trying to build in Tennessee.
Running with horses: "We from the country," Evans said, laughing. "If I can catch a horse, there's no reason for you to question the speed."
Evans' surprising decision not to run a 40-yard dash at the NFL combine or his pro day bothered a few teams and probably affected his draft stock. Evans explained that he took a doctor's advice not to run because of a lingering groin injury. He says he's 100 percent healthy now. Clearly it didn't affect the Titans' decision as they traded up to get him.
Evans pointed to his country training hobbies as evidence that his speed isn't an issue. His family has owned horses for years and Rashaan's younger brother, Alex, encouraged him to work on his athleticism by chasing horses. He says it helped him improve his speed and conditioning.
Vrabel foreshadowed why he doesn't care about timed speed much when I asked him two months ago what he wants in a player: "A lot of it is instincts, guts, what you see off the field," Vrabel said. "Toughness and hard work are things you can't teach. We won't get caught up in the numbers. I was a 4.79-4.98 [40-yard dash] guy from the time I was 17 to 34. Being conditioned, playing with great technique and being instinctive allows you to play much faster."
Joining a great friend: Somebody take Derrick Henry to Las Vegas. He called this pick weeks ago, telling Evans that the Titans would draft him despite the linebacker not taking a pre-draft visit to Tennessee.
Henry and Evans played together at Alabama and have remained "very close" friends. The two have been communicating throughout Evans' draft process. Robinson said Henry winked at him at practice Thursday and said, "Rashaan?" Henry called Evans excited right after the pick. Vrabel told Evans, "Don't let Derrick run you over in training camp." Should be fun.
Now the two will go head-to-head at practice for years to come. It should only drive them. Just like Henry is the Titans tone-setter on offense, Evans can become the same on defense.
Round 2, No. 41 overall: Harold Landry, OLB, Boston College
My take: Tennessee is making championship-contender moves, trading up in consecutive rounds and sacrificing draft capital to secure talented players to fit their scheme. The latest is grabbing Harold (or Honor if you're Vince Young) Landry, a first-round caliber pass-rusher, at No. 41. The Titans defense has a chance to be special next season with few holes.
The Titans would have been happy to get Rashaan Evans or Landry in the first round. Instead, Titans GM Jon Robinson found a way to get both of them filling his two biggest needs with value selections. I asked Robinson what he would have said if somebody told him Thursday morning that this would happen. He unleashed a wide smile and said: "I'll take it. I'll take it."
How he fits: Mike Vrabel was adamant that Landry won't be an "understudy" for veteran outside linebackers Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan. He's there to compete for their jobs. Vrabel got an early look at Landry because his son, Tyler, is set to play football at Boston College. Landry is one of the best pass-rushers in this draft who Robinson said "still has his fastball."
One scout told ESPN that Landry was right behind Bradley Chubb as the best EDGE in the draft and also said he has the best bend in the draft. The Titans have lacked an elite pass-rusher for a long time. Landry has the potential to be that in due time.
There were some reports about medical issues being the reason Landry dropped to No. 41, but Titans doctors were fine with his tests and Landry said he was 100 percent. Landry expects to make an “immediate impact.”
Round 5, No. 152 overall: Dane Cruikshank, CB, Arizona
My take: For the third consecutive pick, the Titans traded up to get a value player who also addressed a hole on their roster. The Titans targeted Arizona DB Dane Cruikshank, who came in for a predraft visit. Adding safety depth was one of the Titans' biggest needs after releasing Da’Norris Searcy and letting Curtis Riley leave in free agency. The Titans have gone defense with their first three picks, one at each level, after loading up on offense last season. The Titans have only made three picks in the first five rounds. Robinson is clearly valuing adding quality talent over quantity, a change-up from the past two seasons, and a sign that the Titans truly believe they can be contenders in 2018.
How he fits: Cruikshank began his career as an outside cornerback at Arizona, but he played much better when he moved to a “spur” safety role at Arizona. Broncos safety Will Parks played that role before him and has made a successful NFL transition to safety. The Titans likely will have Cruikshank compete as a No. 3 safety and his versatility could earn him time in dime packages. He’s more of a strong safety due to his experience playing in the box and tackling ability, but he did intercept top-10 picks Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen in college last season. Cruikshank doesn’t have a ton of playing experience, but he ran a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash and showed off impressive athleticism at the combine.
Mel Kiper breaks down why Washington State quarterback Luke Falk has potential in the NFL.
Round 6, No. 199 overall: Luke Falk, QB, Washington State
My take: The Titans hadn’t drafted a quarterback since Marcus Mariota in 2015, so it was time to get a developmental guy to potentially be a long-term backup. QB is football’s most important position, so if Falk ends up being a capable QB2 as a sixth-round pick, then he will be a successful pick. Falk isn’t the type of quarterback I expected the Titans to draft behind Mariota, but they like his production, work ethic and upside.
How he fits: Falk slides in as a developmental QB3 for now and could force the Titans to keep three quarterbacks. The Titans will groom him to be their eventual QB2 when he’s ready. Falk played in Washington State’s Air Raid system, where he set a ton of Pac-12 records and excelled as a pocket passer. Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur went to Falk’s hometown of Logan, Utah, to work him out and liked what he saw. Falk said “anticipating throws,” accuracy and elevating the guys around him are his biggest strengths. Those coincide with Mariota’s strengths.