The Tennessee Titans may have gotten a huge steal with their third-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft.
When the Titans were on the clock with the 64th selection in the 2016 NFL Draft, they selected a player not too many people know about in Middle Tennessee State safety, Kevin Byard. If you’re a fan of the Titans, you should get to familiarize yourself with him, because he could be making plays for the two-tone blue for many years to come.
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When you think of Middle Tennessee State, you wonder what teams do they play? How good can that competition really be compared to NFL competition? Well, as you can tell in the photos, they did have opportunities to go up against elite competition, which is also when Byard actually had his best performances.
Against the eventual National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide, Byard had a great game. Before getting disqualified from the game for a questionable targeting penalty, the 5’11” ball-hawk was all over the field for the Blue Raiders. Making an impressive interception wasn’t the only thing the new Titan displayed, as he showed a knack for getting the ball carrier down. It didn’t matter if it was reigning Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry, or a quick screen to a receiver, Byard was able to wrap up and get the tackle with very little pursuit from the rest of his defense.
The rest of the 2015 campaign went well for Byard but not as well as he had hoped. Playing in 12 games but being able to only start nine due to injury, the Georgia native collected a team-high four interceptions, which earned him All-Conference USA for the second consecutive year. He finished his collegiate career with an impressive 19 interceptions.
Now, Kevin Byard comes into a great situation in Nashville. Not only does he have two solid veterans in Rashad Johnson and Da’Norris Searcy to now mentor him, but he has one of the greatest defensive masterminds of all time in Dick LeBeau, who has the perfect role for Byard, which may get Titans fans excited.
In LeBeau’s 3-4 defense, he likes to have a highly intelligent, centerfield type of safety on the back end of his defense. The most famous name to ever play that role is former Steelers great, Troy Polamalu. Byard and Polamalu posses extremely similar qualities in the way they read offenses and attack the ball carrier. Byard actually claims to model his game after Polamalu, according to TitansOnline.com.
Tennessee also has a great front-seven of their defense that will make the job a whole lot easier for a rookie safety. Players like Brian Orakpo, Jurrell Casey, Derrick Morgan, and fellow rookie Kevin Dodd all have the ability to rush the passer on a consistent basis, forcing errant throws down the field for Byrad to make a play on.
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Kevin Byrad’s best trait may be his football intelligence, as head coach Mike Mularkey showered his new safety in praise, stating, “We are pretty extensive in our defensive calls with coach LeBeau, and when we did work out with Kevin and sit down with him, he was easily the best on the board in being able to retain (information) and shoot it back at us and it is evident out here is very comfortable doing that”(Via Jim Wyatt).
You should take quotes from coaches during this time of the year with a grain of salt, but that’s a statement that should be getting the fans in the Music City excited for what’s to come from the in-state product.