Tennessee Titans: Grading every pick in 2020 NFL Draft

Round 7, Pick 224: Cole McDonald, QB, Hawaii

Grade: C

It was unrealistic to believe Robinson and Vrabel were comfortable with rolling into training camp with just two quarterbacks on the roster, Ryan Tannehill and Logan Woodside. When you consider Tannehill’s injury history before 2019, it’s absolutely critical the team has a capable backup in place.

Hawaii signal-caller Cole McDonald has the preferred physical measurables at 6-3, 215 pounds and has put up great production the last two seasons with 33 touchdown passes this year and 36 touchdown passes in 2018. With that production through the air, McDonald complements that with being a great athlete, clocking 4.57-second 40.

McDonald was a pure gun-slinger last season showing little-to-no fear when it comes to ripping the ball. While it’s a positive to not second guess yourself as a passer, his aggressive play-style netted him 14 interceptions, including four against Arizona that led to McDonald getting benched.

He is a raw prospect and, with his measurables and touchdown production, it’s easy to see why most coaches would love to get their hands on him. With that said, I’m not sure how smart it is to have a project quarterback in the number two role if Tannehill were to get injured, especially when the roster is built towards winning a championship now.

Round 7, Pick 243: Chris Jackson, DB, Marshall

Grade: D

This selection was somewhat of a head-scratcher. Depending on how the Titans utilize Chris Jackson will tell a lot about this selection down the line. On draft day, Jackson was listed as a safety but also played a ton of corner at Marshall.

Even if Jackson were a special team’s phenom, if he were to come in primarily as a safety, there’s simply no room for him on the roster with Kevin Byard, Kenny Vaccaro, Amani Hooker and Dane Cruikshank firmly entrenched at the safety spots.

On the other hand, if Jackson comes in and shows he can play corner on a consistent basis, then he could very well carve himself a niche on the bottom of the depth chart as well as contribute on special teams.