Grading the AFC South's 2019 NFL Draft selections: Titans get an 'A' for outstanding draft

Tennessee Titans selected Jeffery Simmons with their first round pick
Tennessee Titans selected Jeffery Simmons with their first round pick

#3 Indianapolis Colts: A-

Rock Ya-Sin
Rock Ya-Sin

Round 2: (No. 34 overall) Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple; (49) Ben Banogu, LB, TCU; (59) Parris Campbell, WR, Ohio State

Round 3: (89) Bobby Okereke, LB, Stanford

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Round 4: (109) Khari Willis, S, Michigan State

Round 5: (144) Marvell Tell, S, USC; (164) E.J. Speed, LB, Tarleton State

Round 6: (199) Gerri Green, Edge, Mississippi State

Round 7: (240) Jackson Barton, OT, Utah; (246) Javon Patterson, C/OG, Mississippi

Analysis:

Uh Oh, Chris Ballard is up to his old tricks again. Spoiler alert: It works! Based on all of Ballard's selections, you could tell the primary focuses of this draft were speed, depth, and physicality. Let's start with Rock Ya-Sin, who is a physical, man-to-man corner that isn't afraid to get up close and personal with opposing receivers. Literally. Most experts had him going in round 1. Luckily for Indianapolis, Ya-Sin fell right into their laps at the beginning of round 2.

Ben Banogu is a 6'3," freak of nature that's athletic enough to play both defensive end and outside linebacker. I wouldn't be shocked to see him starting alongside Darius Leonard come September.

I can't say enough about how much I love the Parris Campbell selection. He's a gifted individual at the wideout position, who is going to make a living terrorizing opposing secondaries with plays like end-arounds, jet sweeps and anything else that'll complement his 4.31 speed and physical get-off at the line of scrimmage. In other words, he's a faster, bigger and stronger T.Y. Hilton.

Speaking of unique individuals, that's exactly what Indy got with Bobby Okereke and Khari Willis, both of whom bring a great sense of character with unique range and ball instincts. I mean, there's a reason Ballard and company traded up twenty spots in the fourth round to grab Willis.

Marvell Tell has the versatility and explosiveness to play both safety and corner, which should make things interesting come Training Camp. E.J. Speed's name just speaks for itself. He's a yet another athletically gifted linebacker with a high motor and a nose for the ball. Gerri Green is an underrated defensive end who's got great speed coming off the edge. He should compete for a starting roster spot from day 1.

Don't forget about Jackson Barton and Javon Patterson, who only add to the NFL's best offensive line, in terms of sacks allowed last season (18). They both bring great depth and physicality to an already loaded offensive line. Another job well done by Chris Ballard and company!


#4 Houston Texans: C+

Houston seleted Tytus Howard with their first round pick
Houston selected Tytus Howard with their first round pick

Round 1: (No. 23 overall) Tytus Howard, OT, Alabama State

Round 2: (54) Lonnie Johnson, CB, Kentucky; (55) Max Scharping, OT, Northern Illinois

Round 3: (86) Kahale Warring, TE, San Diego State

Round 5: (161) Charles Omenihu, DE, Texas

Round 6: (195) Xavier Crawford, CB, Central Michigan

Round 7: (220) Cullen Gillaspia, FB, Texas A&M

Analysis:

This was an interesting draft, to say the least. It pretty much goes without saying that Houston had to make protecting their franchise QB, Deshaun Watson, the sole priority. And well, they did that, sort of. I'm not going to lie, selecting Tytus Howard was a bit of a headscratcher for me, especially when you had players in Cody Ford and Jawaan Taylor, whom many experts ranked well-ahead of Howard, still on the board.

Who knows, though. Maybe GM Brian Gaine sees something that others don't? The addition of Lonnie Johnson is certainly interesting, too. He should pair well with free agent acquisition Bradley Roby. I mean, you have to figure out how to stop T.Y. Hilton (and now Parris Campbell) at some point, right?

Max Scharping needs to work on his techniques a little, but could ultimately win the starting job fairly easily. Let's face it, it's probably not that hard to win any of the five current offensive line positions, especially after the unit in '18 surrendered a league-high 65 sacks. I do like Kahale Warring, who is going to bring great depth and competition to the tight end group.

Charles Omenihu adds great value and physicality to an already stout front seven. Xavier Howard is a name to watch early on through rookie minicamps and training camp. At the very least, he'll bring depth into a secondary that got exposed on several occasions last season for not having enough depth.

Cullen Gillaspia should compete for their starting FB spot right away, as well as provide nice running lanes for Lamar Miller in 2019. Overall, the Texans get a C+, which might even be a little generous if I'm being honest. I'll have to wait and see how everything pans out before I adjust my grade even a little.

Titans Fans! Check out the latest Tennessee Titans Schedule and dive into the Titans Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Raunak J
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