Tennessee Titans: Which players could move on, off Top 100 list?
By Dale Lolley
With the NFL Top 100 list concluding for this season, which Tennessee Titans players could move onto or off of the list next year?
The NFL Network recently concluded its Top 100 player rankings for 2017. In reality, it should be called the Top 100 players of 2016. It is, after all, based largely on what happened last year.
Because of that, the Tennessee Titans had six players ranked among the top 100, including running back DeMarco Murray at No. 33. Quarterback Marcus Mariota (50th), offensive tackle Taylor Lewan (72), tight end Delanie Walker (75), linebacker Brian Orakpo (78) and defensive tackle Jurrell Casey (86) also made the list.
The only one of those players who made the list last year was Walker at 82. The real question is which of these players could drop off and who could be added in 2018.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
Of the current Titans on the list, the player most likely to fall by the wayside is Walker. Walker will turn 33 in August and, quite frankly, given what the team has done this offseason, he might not see the targets he has in the past.
Walker got 102 targets in 2016, second only to Rishard Matthews’ 108. With the addition of Corey Davis, Eric Decker and even rookie tight end Jonnu Smith, Walker could see his targets fall off this season. Given that, he could drop off the list. But that doesn’t mean the Titans don’t potentially have some replacements in the Top 100 for 2018.
Offensive tackle Jack Conklin certainly garnered his share of attention as a rookie in 2016. Right tackles don’t typically get the same amount of love as left tackles. Four made the Top 100, none of which play on the right side. So Conklin would have to have a stellar season.
Davis also has a shot. The fifth-overall pick in this year’s draft, Davis has plenty of talent. He also has an improving young quarterback in Mariota getting him the football. Davis would have to have a pretty big season, however. The lowest-rated receiver on this year’s list — Seattle’s Doug Baldwin — caught 94 passes in 2016.
Next: NFL 2017: Top 10 non-QB MVP candidates
Baldwin, who ranked 88th, also had 1,128 yards and seven touchdowns. If Davis comes close to those numbers in his rookie season, the Titans will be happy whether he makes the Top 100 or not.