3. Tennessee Titans: TJ Parker, DE/EDGE, Clemson
The Tennessee Titans are very much in an evaluation year for the first year of the reign of general manager Mike Borgonzi. Borgonzi came to the Titans this offseason from the Kansas City Chiefs, where he obviously just enjoyed one of the most prosperous stretches he ever will as an NFL executive.
How will Borgonzi respond to some serious adversity?
One thing you absolutely have to have in today’s NFL is the right quarterback under center, and the right coaching staff around him. As much as this year will be about evaluating the roster, it will also be a lot about evaluating the coaching staff and making sure the Titans have the right people in place to take this team back into the playoffs and in contention for the AFC South.
If Brian Callahan can get the best out of Cam Ward, the Titans will be in a good spot for the future, even if they don’t win a ton of games this season.
4. New York Giants: Francis Mauioga, OT, Miami
One team that’s very difficult to figure out right now is the New York Giants. The Giants seem to have a good enough defensive front to finish way better than the fourth-worst record in the NFL this coming season.
On the other hand, there are a ton of questions about the quarterback position. Is Russell Wilson going to produce? If Wilson struggles, how quickly are we going to see Jaxson Dart come into the fold? Are the Giants committed enough to Dart to pass on other quarterbacks this high in next year’s draft if they end up here?
My guess is, if the Giants are this bad this coming season, they’re probably going to move on from their current regime, and that would make Dart susceptible. Nobody is going to take over the Giants under some sort of mandate that Dart is the future of the team. So the Giants desperately need to show progress this coming year or they are liable to blow things up.
If they don’t go quarterback, taking the top offensive tackle on their board seems like a great way to continue loading up in the trenches.