With the No. 116 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Titans chose to bolster the secondary by selecting former Iowa Hawkeyes safety Amani Hooker. He’ll join a group of Titans safeties which includes the solid duo of Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro, but should find no issue making a name for himself on Tennessee’s roster. In college, the 5-foot-11, 210-pounder started at free safety, strong safety and a hybrid safety position last season that allowed him to work as an extra linebacker as well on some plays. The Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar included Hooker in a recent article in which he listed out 19 late-round draft picks who could instantly make an impact for the Titans. Related Titans release new rookie numbers for four players He noted Hooker’s ability to bring versatility and ability to defend against both the pass and the run as reasons the fourth-rounder could make his presence felt early on. “Tennessee’s safety rotation is already impressive enough with Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro, but the addition of Iowa’s Hooker in the fourth round gives Mike Vrabel’s defense even more versatility,” he wrote. “With Hooker defending the intermediate passing game and slamming down on run fits, Byard can cover the deep third as he does, and Vaccaro can maintain his status as the versatile slot-to-safety defender. If you see the Titans deciphering opposing offenses with a lot of “big nickel” (three-safety) sets, Hooker may be the reason why. It will be interesting to see just how effective Hooker is as the Titans continue to go through offseason activities ahead of the 2019 NFL season.<doc-sep>Winners Arizona Cardinals With 11 picks in the draft going into Kliff Kingsbury’s first year as head coach of the Cardinals, Steve Keim and company absolutely knocked their picks out of the park. They did just about everything they could to make sure Kyler Murray’s first season in the NFL looks nothing close to Josh Rosen’s. They picked varied, yet big-time wide receivers to make sure their new QB has plenty of mouths to feed. Isabaella (4.31) is going to be their new speed threat, Butler can step in and play inside or out, although he finds more success in the slot, and then Johnson will be another well-rounded wideout option they can play with who may have the best hands of the trio. Cardinals Draft Picks (@PFF Big Board Rank) and 2018 Overall Grade: Kyler Murray (1) - 94.6 Byron Murphy (6) - 92.0 Andy Isabella (30) - 93.2 Zach Allen (40) - 90.9 Hakeem Butler (42) - 82.4 Deionte Thompson (66) - 88.4 Keesean Johnson (173) - 82.9 Lamont Gaillard (106) - 78.2 pic.twitter.com/XIH9OXIwAo — PFF ARZ Cardinals (@PFF_Cardinals) April 28, 2019 Two of their first four picks were on the defensive side of the ball in cornerback Byron Murphy and defensive end Zach Allen. Murphy will immediately start opposite Pat Peterson while Allen will challenge for playing time opposite Chandler Jones out of the gate. Butler joins Deionte Thompson as their biggest value picks with both falling to the fourth and fifth round, respectively. They topped their draft off by selecting some really nice depth pieces in the trenches. Lamont Gaillard was arguably the best center out of the SEC this season while Josh Miles is a small-school tackle who jumped out of the gym during the combine. Michael Dogbe provides DL depth and tight end Caleb Wilson is another potential option in the passing game behind Ricky Seals-Jones. Tennessee Titans It’s hard to make the statement for “best draft” with only a handful of picks, but the Titans were able to do just that with only six picks. They started the draft off by taking the plunge of defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons out of Mississippi State. He is a top-5 talent when healthy and keeps that interior defense fercious alongside Jurrell Casey. AJ Brown was the top wide receiver on some boards and they were able to snag him in the second after a short fall. If Marcus Mariota still struggles to fall with Brown at his disposal, then the Titans should start to worry because this guy is FUN to watch. What did you think of the Titans draft?https://t.co/NSefPatRRl pic.twitter.com/0JNEMjE8i2 — Pro Football Focus (@PFF) April 28, 2019 Offensive guard Nate Davis is a dog and should be able to fill the hole left by Josh Kline in no time. He has experience at right tackle and guard and loves to play the way the Titans want to up front. Safety Amani fits the new breed of safety in the NFL and can be the perfect compliment to Kevin Byard on the back end. Rounding out their draft with defensive end De’Andre and linebacker David Long give the Titans two more depth pieces that know how to play wild and fast. All in all, there’s not one player on this list that makes me go “meh”. They are all players. New England Patriots Like clockwork, the Patriots wound up with double-digit picks in this year’s draft and made the most of it. They stayed-put in the first round and nabbed wide receiver N’keal Harry out of Arizona State. With wide receiver being a position they haven’t invested much in iver the years, it’s awesome to see them get Tom Brady a bonafide threat on the outside. If Josh Gordon ends up coming back, watch out. Joejuan Williams was their second and this 6-foot-4 corner can really get after opposing wideouts. Gone are the days where the Patriots secondary can be exposed each week. Chase Winovich in the third is amazing value as one of the twitchiest, high-motor talents at the position. He’s gotta start following the departure of Trey Flowers. Draft grades for all 32 NFL teams - including an 'above average' mark for the New England Patriots ⬇️ ⬇️ https://t.co/NSefPatRRl pic.twitter.com/6s2aUPtnAq — Pro Football Focus (@PFF) April 28, 2019 Running back Damien Harris, offensive guard Hjalte Froholdt, and offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste were all taken in the third and all have the potential to either start or earn playing time in their first few years. Harris and Sony Michel in the backfield is something else. The Jarrett Stidham pick is a little odd but Belichick loves flipping mid-round in draft capital after a couples so it’s not surprising. Byron Cowart and Ken Webster are solid depth pieces while punter Jake Bailey is one of the top punters in this year’s class. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him win that job and hold it for the forseeable future. Losers Houston Texans This draft ended with some nice pieces, but they butchered their first picks to the point I didn’t feel they were able to come back from it. Tytus Howard in the first feels like a reach to me when much better tackles were still on the board. Max Sharping in the third was an even bigger reach as I wouldn’t have touched him until day three. I can’t believe these were their best shots at helping to protect Deshaun Watson. I’d be livid if I was him. Lonnie Johnson is a solid pick, albeit a little high, but he has the upside to justify the second-round selection. Kahale Warring in the fourth became a much better pick when it was announced that current Texans tight end Ryan Griffin was arrested in Nashville over the weekend. The Texans made up for some of their earlier mishaps by snagging the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year in Charles Omenihu. He can play inside and outside depending on where he keeps his weight but it was by far my favorite pick of theirs. The @HoustonTexans picked up some serious talent on Day 3. pic.twitter.com/LcFg636htD — PFF HOU Texans (@PFF_Texans) April 27, 2019 With their final picks, they selected the lesser of the two Central Michigan corners and a linebacker-turned-fullback from Texas A&M. There’s just nothing there to get excited about if I were a Texans fan. Underwhelming from start to finish. Atlanta Falcons One of the biggest needs for the Falcons coming into the draft was offensive line help. Guards, tackles, it didn’t matter. They needed help. With their first pick at #14 this year, it put them in prime position to draft one of the top guys no matter what. When their pick rolled around, the only linemen selected was Jonah Williams. Guys like Cody Ford and Jawaan Taylor were both still available and were expected to be next. However, they went with Chris Lindstrom out of Boston College. Arguably the best guard in the draft, they got a sure-fire starter who should be their guy for the next decade. Some expected him to go later, but when you know, you know. This isn’t their reason for being on here, though. Before the end of day one, the Falcons traded back into the first by moving up to the Rams pick at #31 and taking...Kaleb McGary. Now McGary up to this point was a consensus second-round pick. And let me remind that Ford, Taylor, and Dalton Risner were all still on the board at the time. They traded away much-needed draft capital following a down year to take a tackle who most likely would have been there in the second while so many better prospects were still on the board. Kaleb McGary's Pass Block Grade by season (rank among Pac-12 Tackles) 2015 - 57.0 (23rd of 24) 2016 - 66.5 (20th of 24) 2017 - 76.2 (14th of 24) 2018 - 80.6 (12th of 24) — PFF ATL Falcons (@PFF_Falcons) April 26, 2019 The Falcons didn’t pick until the fourth round where they selected cornerback Kendell Sheffield and defensive end John Cominsky.<doc-sep>The picks are in, from No. 1 (Kyler Murray to the Arizona Cardinals) through No. 254 (Caleb Wilson, aka “Mr. Irrelevant,” also to the Cardinals), and we have all of them broken down. Here are our final team-by-team grades for the 2019 NFL draft: AFC East Buffalo Bills Picks: Houston DT Ed Oliver; Oklahoma OL Cody Ford; Florida Atlantic RB Devin Singletary; Mississippi TE Dawson Knox; Florida LB Vosean Joseph; Miami S Jaquan Johnson; North Carolina A&T EDGE Darryl Johnson; Boston College TE Tommy Sweeney Best pick: Ford The Bills wanted to trade up even higher to take Ford, but they were lucky to get what we feel was first-round value early in Round 2. Couple him with the first-round pick of Ed Oliver, and the Bills appeared to make two rock-solid selections to kick off their draft. Ford can play tackle or guard and will help add great competition (they signed six free agents there this offseason) to an offensive line that needs it. His road-grading style fits in well with the Bills’ offensive system and helps keep QB Josh Allen protected. Worst pick: Singletary Singletary went about where we expected – 74th overall – based on conversations with NFL scouting folks, but we couldn’t quite warm up to him as an NFL prospect. With sub-par size and relatively tame testing numbers, he’s going to be swimming a bit upstream in the league, and we fear that Singletary’s knack for forcing missed tackles won’t quite translate as well at this level. His shiftiness is fascinating, and he lives up to his nickname of “Motor.” But we suspect Singletary might always have to be a bit player on offense and never a lead option. Overall: It’s hard not to like what the Bills did, especially in the early rounds. Oliver has a chance to be a disruptor inside immediately. Ford should start very early on. Knox is a favorite of ours; even though he wasn’t productive in college, he has great upside and it’s a need position. Even Joseph and Johnson on Day 3 were very good values, we felt. It’s just a very nice, deep haul for a team that is building a strong defense and a more diverse offense. Story continues Grade: B+ Miami Dolphins Picks: Clemson DT Christian Wilkins; Wisconsin OG Michael Deiter; Wisconsin LB Andrew Van Ginkel; Ohio State OT Isaiah Prince; Auburn FB Chandler Cox; Washington RB Myles Gaskin Best pick: Wilkins Absolutely a tone-setting choice to kick off Brian Flores’ tenure. Wilkins has A-plus character and is an A-minus prospect as a versatile, athletic and hard-working defender who can factor in at multiple spots. Miami’s front is lacking in talent overall, but Wilkins should raise that quite a bit. We think he might not be a huge sack producer but absolutely will be a stalwart for years to come on that defense. A high-floor pick. Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins adds excitement to the Miami Dolphins. (AP Photo) Worst pick: Deiter We actually like Deiter and believe he’ll contribute at a need spot. But we also had a higher grade on Erik McCoy, who was selected with the pick the Dolphins traded down from to land in this spot. This is more about the trade down and loss of value than it is about Deiter himself. The Dolphins had a pretty solid weekend all told. Overall: After not taking an offensive or defensive lineman last year, the Dolphins quickly rectified that by using their top two picks on bulk up front. But their most fascinating move might have come in trading a second-rounder for QB Josh Rosen, which gets factored into this draft grade quite a bit. In two deals, the Dolphins essentially gave up a second-round pick (No. 62 overall) and a 2020 fifth-round pick for Rosen, the pick that became Prince (No. 202) and a 2020 second-rounder from the Saints. That’s exceptional work right there. The rest of the haul this year was pretty blue collar, as we expected, but this was a nice start for the Flores-Chris Grier camp. Grade: B+ New England Patriots Picks: Arizona State WR N’Keal Harry; Vanderbilt CB Joejuan Williams; Michigan DE Chase Winovich; Alabama RB Damien Harris; West Virginia OT Yodny Cajuste; Arkansas OG Hjalte Froholdt; Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham; Maryland DL Byron Cowart; Stanford P Jake Bailey; Mississippi CB Ken Webster Best pick: Winovich Frankly, we could have picked any of their first four selections, as they all felt like second-round talents in our minds. But we’ll single out Winovich, who absolutely fits the Patriots Way with his hustle and production – think Rob Ninkovich, which is easy to remember since they rhyme. We expect Winovich to be a fan favorite as a hustle/energy player, and in time he should grow into a playmaking role. Worst pick: Stanford P Jake Bailey (Round 5) Is Bill Belichick losing his touch by drafting a right-footed punter? Honestly, we can’t quibble too much with the pick – perhaps except that trading up for him likely means that Bailey is the guy and they’ll move on from the solid Ryan Allen. Bailey actually was given a draftable grade by more than one team, so the Patriots didn’t reach, per se. But we had to pick one draft choice as our least favorite. That’s how good their haul was. Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham (Round 4) might have been the other “worst pick” option, but he has talent to develop; he’s just not ready to play this year. Overall: Not drafting a tight end was eye-opening but perhaps done by design. Anyone the Patriots drafted at that position was going to be cloaked with the unfair stigma of being Rob Gronkowski’s “replacement,” which just isn’t happening. But other than that, they did a good job of accumulating talent and great value, especially in the first three rounds, and came away with one of their more interesting drafts in a few years. Picking at the bottom of every round didn’t hurt at all, and they got Chicago’s fourth-rounder next year, too. Grade: A- New York Jets Picks: Alabama DT Quinnen Williams; Florida OLB Jachai Polite; USC OT Chuma Edoga; West Virginia TE Trevon Wesco; Minnesota LB Blake Cashman; Rutgers CB Blessuan Austin Best pick: Williams And it’s not even close. We might have taken issue with large chunks of this year’s Jets picks, but Williams was a three-run home run – our top overall prospect – in the No. 3 hole to kick off the draft. Wherever they line him up, Williams will be a major disruptor and should grow into a Pro Bowl-level playmaker. Gregg Williams needs these types of instigators on his defense, and Big Q should be special before long. Worst pick: Edoga We almost picked Polite here, but his tape alone was worth the character risk the Jets will be taking on him at the top of Round 3. But lower down in the round was too early in our opinion to take a similar risk on Edoga, who wasn’t known as a grinder with the Trojans and might need some time before he’s ready to be a pro. Both were need positions, and the talent gamble is understandable, but we just wonder if he ever will live up to his skill level. Overall: The Jets started strong, hit a few potential roadblocks on Day 2 and then rallied for a solid finish. Williams is the centerpiece, and we think he will be a cornerstone for the defense for many years. Polite and Edoga are swings for the fence, which could pay off nicely or be sizable misses. We love Wesco and Cashman as versatile pieces on offense/defense and special teams, but overall this class was a little light for us, even taking into consideration the second-rounder they traded away for Sam Darnold a year ago. Grade: C+ AFC North Baltimore Ravens Picks: Oklahoma WR Marquise Brown; Louisiana Tech OLB Jaylon Ferguson; Notre Dame WR Miles Boykin; Oklahoma State RB Justice Hill; Oklahoma OG Ben Powers; USC CB Iman Marshall; Texas A&M DT Daylon Mack; Penn State QB Trace McSorley Best pick: Brown<doc-sep>
Since everyone else on the Music City Miracles staff has already posted their thoughts on the Titans’ draft, I figured I’d go ahead and do the very same. As the only MCM writer that’s from a different fanbase (Browns), I won’t say my experience as an outsider affects my opinions, but I wouldn’t blame you if you thought that. Anyway, I thought the Titans had a solid draft. To a degree they address their biggest needs heading into the offseason, and the overall team looks the most talented it’s been in the Marcus Mariota era. Will that be enough to return to the playoffs? It should, especially if Mariota stays healthy, but these things aren’t given. So with that said, the rest of this article will be dedicated to brief summarizations of my thoughts on each draft pick. Round 1: Jeffery Simmons (19th overall pick, DE, Mississippi State) I’ll be honest; I’m not quite as high on the Simmons pick as others in the Titans circle are. I feel like Jerry Tillery would’ve been a better interior lineman with this pick, as I see him to be the more consistent player as a pass rusher. I will say that as a run stopper you can’t go wrong with the pick. Simmons had an astounding 18 tackles for loss in his final season with Mississippi State. I also love his insane burst and power off the line of scrimmage, that will certainly help strengthen an interior combo of Jurrell Casey and Simmons. Combining that with guys like Harold Landry and Cameron Wake makes for a much more intriguing Titans pass rush for a defense that was already good in 2018. I do want to see more consistency from Simmons as a pass rusher. His game against Ole Miss is a perfect example of his potential as a pass rusher, though I feel like his play in this department is inconsistent. Probably not a popular opinion, but that’s how I feel. I definitely don’t despise the pick, and look forward to seeing what a healthy Simmons can do for the Titans defensive line. Round 2: A.J. Brown (51st overall pick, WR, Ole Miss) Brown wasn’t my favorite receiver available with the 51st pick (I wanted J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Miles Boykin, D.K. Metcalf and Kelvin Harmon over him), so him being the first Ole Miss WR taken off the board was surprising. However, I did enjoy Brown’s tape and like him as a prospect, so ultimately I like the pick. He’s a consistent route runner that also shows promise as a red zone threat, and does more than enough to separate down the field and create yards after the catch. His presence increases the versatility of the receiving corps’, something they badly needed. Now, I’ve seen some Titans fans suggest Brown has a higher ceiling than Corey Davis, and I’m not entirely sure about that. Davis, as well as having much more professional experience, doesn’t get enough credit as a high quality all-around receiver. He can work underneath, intermediate and especially vertical, and possesses impressive ball skills and smooth breaks on his routes. That’s not to say Brown can’t get there, but I think fans are selling Davis a little short. Round 3: Nate Davis (82nd overall pick, OG, Charlotte) Watching Nate Davis, the pick makes sense for Tennessee’s run heavy offense considering Davis came from a similar background with Charlotte. He’s an extremely athletic and powerful run blocker that’s capable of moving in space. He’s not quite as strong as a pass blocker, but he’s still solid in that area and I enjoy his quick first step after the snap. Arguably the most important part of protecting a quarterback is having a strong interior offensive line, and it’s safe to say the Titans did not have that in 2018. But with the additions of the brilliant Roger Saffold and Davis, that should change in 2019. Round 4: Armani Hooker (116th overall pick, safety, Iowa) The addition of Amani Hooker gives the Titans safety corps some much needed depth, and this includes the starting tandem of Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro. Hooker is a quick, versatile safety with impressive speed and solid coverage/tackling ability. I’m looking forward to the snaps he gets in his rookie season. Round 5: D’Andre Walker (168th overall pick, OLB, Georgia) In the fifth round, Tennessee got their second pass rusher of the draft in OLB D’Andre Walker.