The rest of the league had time to spare on Keylan Rutledge; the Titans did not wait, grabbing him 38 spots ahead at the 76th pick.
If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through interior defensive lineman. The Elarms-Orr value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. The Titans clearly valued win-now help, adding bodies who have done it before.
Offensive lineman was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.18
· Pick 18
· Jeremiyah Love
· RB
· rank 2
In Round 1, Pick 18 they get a bell-cow for the offense, outstanding value to boot. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
R1.20
· Pick 20
· Arvell Reese
· LB
· rank 7
In pick 20 they get a green-dot type in the middle, and a steal at that. A clean fit for the roster.
R2.3
· Pick 35
· Omar Cooper Jr.
· WR
· rank 34
A straight-up fair deal on Omar Cooper Jr. at slot 35, value and slot in agreement. It fills a real need, too.
R2.17
· Pick 49
· Joshua Josephs
· DE-EDGE
· rank 44
Nothing to complain about; Joshua Josephs went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R3.2
· Pick 66
· Jake Slaughter
· C
· rank 55
A slide stopped in pick No. 66, with Jake Slaughter worth more than the price. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R3.12
· Pick 76
· Keylan Rutledge
· OG
· rank 114
They left a pile of value on the table to take Keylan Rutledge this early at No. 76. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R4.1
· Pick 101
· Devin Moore
· CB
· rank 90
Devin Moore slid further than he should have, and No. 101 is lovely value for the cornerback. It adds depth where they could use a little.
R4.4
· Pick 104
· Bryce Lance
· WR
· rank 93
The board had Bryce Lance higher than the 104th overall pick, and the wide receiver fell to them anyway. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
R4.12
· Pick 112
· Genesis Smith
· S
· rank 101
Genesis Smith at slot 112 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
R5.2
· Pick 142
· Hezekiah Masses
· CB
· rank 137
They did well to land Hezekiah Masses in pick 142, just ahead of his grade. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
R5.4
· Pick 144
· Beau Stephens
· OG
· rank 158
A premium they did not need to pay, Beau Stephens a notch or two before his time. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R5.12
· Pick 152
· Keagen Trost
· OT
· rank 182
Keagen Trost at the 152nd pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R6.3
· Pick 184
· Eric McAlister
· WR
· rank 192
Eric McAlister in pick No. 184 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R6.13
· Pick 194
· Kaleb Elarms-Orr
· LB
· rank 176
Somehow Kaleb Elarms-Orr was still sitting there in Round 6, Pick 13, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
R7.9
· Pick 225
· Zavion Thomas
· WR
· rank 219
Zavion Thomas in the Round 7 slot lands just on the right side of the ledger. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.