If you’re among the many Tennessee Titans fans who were hoping for the “miracle fifth-round wide receiver,” as Paul Kuharsky so adequately put it, I have some bad news for you.
The Titans once again chose to neglect the receiver position with the presumptive reasoning being they just trusted their board.
To be fair, they ended up selecting Cincinnati tight end Josh Whyle, who was my 10th-ranked tight end, and he is a reliable pass-catcher who only dropped six passes over his entire five-year college career.
The Cincinnati product also gives the Titans some versatility when it comes to different personnel packages. Last season alone, Whyle accounted for 352 snaps in-line, 181 snaps in the slot, 46 snaps in the backfield, 31 snaps out wide, and 71 special teams snaps.
As far as his run-blocking goes, I would label it as inconsistent at best. Over the last five years, he has accumulated a run-blocking grade of 63.48, per Pro Football Focus.
The team’s continued effort to willingly neglect a premium position in the modern-day NFL is ridiculously baffling. Unless they have some unforeseen master plan post-draft, this continues to be a very underwhelming offseason in terms of trying to improve the Titans’ arsenal of weapons.
Whyle does offer some pass-catching upside for an offense that desperately needs it, but I still have to give this a below-average grade considering everything that’s already been said.
Grade: D+
