Grade the Titans 2018 Draft

A few I've found:

SB Nation: B
The Titans jumped ahead of the New England Patriots in the first to take take Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans. That alone earned head Titans head coach Mike Vrabel some credit. Evans played a lot on the outside at Alabama and has the physicality to play the middle.

Tennessee then jumped up to the 41st pick in the second round to take Boston College edge rusher Harold Landry. From a draft value standpoint, getting him was a great selection. However, the pick cost of Nos. 57 and 89 was high, and there are concerns about his health. But if’s healthy, the Titans have a rebuilt linebacker unit. Fifth-round pick Dane Cruikshank gives Tennessee a versatile defensive back who can play safety and cornerback.


Sports Illustrated: B-
Draft picks: Alabama LB Rashaan Evans (No. 22), Boston College EDGE Harold Landry (No. 41), Arizona S Dane Cruikshank (No. 152), Washington State QB Luke Falk (No. 199).

It wasn’t a heavy draft for Tennessee, but the first two picks were, in the simplest form, what a draft is all about: finding players to fill holes. Rashaan Evans, an attacker who played in a multi-faceted scheme at Alabama, fills the one left by departed free agent Avery Williamson (Jets). A lot will be asked of him in Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Dean Pees’s system—at least he’ll be operating alongside a steady veteran like Wesley Woodyard.

In the second round, Tennessee traded up to get late first-round projected edge rusher Harold Landry, who they don’t badly need right now but will after this season, given that Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan are both in the final years of their contracts. 2016 second-rounder Kevin Dodd has not developed because he fits a classic 4-3, not a flexible 3-4 like Tennessee ran under Dick LeBeau and will run in a slightly different way under first-time head coach Mike Vrabel. Tennessee’s grade is bumped down one notch to account for having to trade for the needed edge rusher, but overall, this is a very good move.


NFL: A
The skinny: The Titans really needed an inside linebacker after the departure of Avery Williamson, so trading up for Evans made sense. They had to move down two rounds (giving up a fourth-rounder and picking up a sixth-rounder) to get ahead of the Patriots to secure Evans, but that's reasonable for an instant starter who can do a lot on the field. I can't knock the Titans for sending the Raiders a third-round pick to go get Landry. He will take over for Derrick Morgan or Brian Orakpo sooner than later. They'll find depth at other positions on Saturday and after the draft. Cruikshank has the length and agility play as a press corner or safety, so he's a good value in the fifth round. With Blaine Gabbert as the current backup, finding Falk available in the sixth round was a major bonus.

 

Sporting News: A
Here's to you again, Jon Robinson, one of the brightest young GMs in the game. Evans and Landry can be second-level studs for linebacker-turned-head coach Mike Vrabel, and Dean Pess gets some Ravens-like linebackers. Cruikshank can push for the starting strong safety spot soon. Falk is the ideal athletic developmental backup for Marcus Mariota under Matt LaFleur.


USA Today: B-
They're banking that quality trumps quantity given trades reduced them to a four-player bounty. Rashaan Evans and Harold Landry could herald the passing of the torch in the linebacking corps. They better. Unwarranted Tom Brady comparisons have been endlessly attached to sixth-round QB Luke Falk, who was naturally pick 199th (just like Brady in 2000). It would be a win if Falk merely pans out as a reliable backup to Marcus Mariota.


Pro Football Focus: Good
Day 1: Tennessee moved up to snag Rashaan Evans who fills a need in the middle of the field. After starting his career at Alabama as an explosive and productive edge rusher, Evans played more of a traditional linebacker role the last two seasons where he put the pass-rushing to good use as a blitzer while showing well in the run game. The question mark for Evans is in coverage where his season-best grade came last year at 76.6, but he can become a movable chess piece in passing situations where his pass-rushing prowess will be a nightmare if matched up on opposing running backs.

Day 2: The Titans moved up to make one of the best value picks in the draft, perhaps securing the best pass-rusher off the edge in Harold Landry. His 2017 season was disappointing as his production dipped and he battled injury, but he was outstanding in 2016, posting an 89.0 pass-rush grade, the best single-season mark from anyPower-5 edge defender in this class. Landry also fits the mold with regard to athleticism, burst, and bend off the edge.

Day 3: Dane Cruikshank is a good athlete who ranked second in the draft class with a run-stop percentage of 6.2 last season. Luke Falk has solid backup potential as he doesn’t have a great arm, but he’s capable of throwing with accuracy and touch in the short and intermediate game. He’s coming off the worst season of his career as he ranked 33rd in the draft class in big-time throw percentage and 27th at avoiding turnover-worthy plays.