Titans Mock Draft 3.0: Two CBs, two WRs, two edge rushers

By John Glennon

In just over a week, all the mock talk will finally come to an end.

Actual draft picks will be made, real-life rosters will change.

Until then, however, why shouldn’t the speculation run wild?

In my two previous Titans mocks, I went just three rounds deep, concentrating on the team’s first four selections. But now that the big event is getting closer, I took a stab at all nine Titans picks – choosing two cornerbacks, two wide receivers, two edge rushers, one tight end, one tackle and one nose tackle.

See what you think of these potential picks and the reasoning behind them, even though I reserve the right to take one last stab at things next week.

Round: 1

Pick No.: 22

Player: Greg Newsome

Position: Cornerback

Ht., wt.: 6-0, 192

College: Northwestern

Reasoning: I gave a lot of consideration to going wide receiver with this first pick, since the Titans are very much in need at that position as well. But it appears to me that the draft is deeper in wide receivers than cornerbacks, so I felt like I could wait until the second round and still grab a quality pass-catcher. I also thought about taking Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley at this pick, since it looks like he’s started to slide in the eyes of many due to his back surgery. But those same concerns about Farley’s back won’t let me grab him here. The Titans can’t afford to take a risk in the first round after last season.

Newsome may not be the physical beast that Farley is, but he’s considered a smooth, athletic coverage guy – one that can excel in both man-to-man and zone schemes. He only intercepted one pass in his 21 college games, but he did knock away 25 passes during that stretch. Per Pro Football Focus, Newsome allowed just one catch in 15 targets thrown 10-or-more yards downfield, which helped him post a coverage grade of 83. 8 last season.

Round: 2

Pick No.: 53

Player: Rondale Moore

Position: Wide receiver

Ht., wt.: 5-7, 180

College: Purdue

Reasoning: I gave a lot of thought to going with North Carolina’s Dyami Brown at this position, as he’s much more of a downfield, deep-ball threat than Moore. But with the departure of Adam Humphries and the addition of Josh Reynolds, it appears to me the Titans are more in need of a slot receiver than an outside guy at present. Pro Football Focus compares Moore to former NFL great Steve Smith because of his stature and electric skill package. Moore flashed those talents during his freshman season in 2018, when he caught 114 passes for 1,258 yards and a dozen touchdowns.

He’s only played in seven games over the past two seasons due to injury, so the Titans would have to be certain he’s 100 percent healthy. But Moore could feast on short-range passes over the middle, especially with A.J. Brown likely to draw so much attention. Per The Athletic, over 71 percent of Moore’s yardage in college came after the catch. Per Pro Football Focus, Moore –very strong despite his size — broke 37 tackles during that dazzling freshman season. He didn’t go deep often during his college career, but Moore has that potential – judging from the 4.29 40-yard dash time he recorded at Purdue’s Pro Day.

Round: 3

Pick No.: 85

Player: Hunter Long

Position: Tight end

Ht., wt.: 6-5, 254

College: Boston College

Author: John GlennonMulti-media journalist with extensive expertise covering the NFL, NHL, professional soccer and more, including the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators for The Tennessean with articles, videos and podcasts. Strengths include the ability to write quick, concise and thorough analysis, as well as the ability to uncover unique human-interest stories. In working as a reporter, John developed skills that extend beyond the sports journalism world. An efficient and effective communicator, John is confident, calm and productive under deadline pressure and knows the power of the written word. John brings to Broadway Sports a work ethic second to none, an intellectual hunger, and an ability to inform and entertain readers, viewers and listeners. Reach out directly to John at: