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The Tennessee Titans were on the precipice of turning their franchise around in 2017 when the NFL draft rolled around that year.
The 2016 season marked the eighth straight year that the Titans missed the playoffs. Tennessee had overcome a revolving door of quarterbacks for years with their decision to settle on Marcus Mariota as their starter beginning in 2015.
In the 2017 draft, the Titans selected cornerback Adoree' Jackson with the No. 18 overall pick over a pair of players who would go on to earn All-Pro honors—one of whom has already carved out a career worthy of a Gold Jacket.
Jackson has remained a starter in the NFL throughout his career and has recorded five interceptions. However, the Titans had the opportunity to add a generational talent—or a more accomplished player at the position—had they chosen differently to address their cornerback needs with that selection.
It's T.J. Watt, for crying out loud. Watt is the former 2021 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The Wisconsin native has earned four first-team All-Pro honors, as well as a second-team All-Pro nod. Not to mention, he tied Michael Strahan’s then-single-season NFL record for sacks in 2021 with 22.5. No matter how good an NFL defense may be, passing on Watt still invokes remorse in retrospect.
While Watt represents the all-time talent that the Titans chose not to take at No. 18 overall, Tennessee also had the chance to address cornerback by selecting Tre'Davious White with the pick. White became a first-team All-Pro honoree in 2019 and led the NFL in interceptions that season with six. He added a second-team All-Pro nod in 2020.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: 2017 NFL re-draft: Tennessee Titans pass on Adoree' Jackson at No. 18
Continue reading...
The 2016 season marked the eighth straight year that the Titans missed the playoffs. Tennessee had overcome a revolving door of quarterbacks for years with their decision to settle on Marcus Mariota as their starter beginning in 2015.
In the 2017 draft, the Titans selected cornerback Adoree' Jackson with the No. 18 overall pick over a pair of players who would go on to earn All-Pro honors—one of whom has already carved out a career worthy of a Gold Jacket.
Jackson has remained a starter in the NFL throughout his career and has recorded five interceptions. However, the Titans had the opportunity to add a generational talent—or a more accomplished player at the position—had they chosen differently to address their cornerback needs with that selection.
New selection: DE T.J. Watt (Pittsburgh Steelers)
It's T.J. Watt, for crying out loud. Watt is the former 2021 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The Wisconsin native has earned four first-team All-Pro honors, as well as a second-team All-Pro nod. Not to mention, he tied Michael Strahan’s then-single-season NFL record for sacks in 2021 with 22.5. No matter how good an NFL defense may be, passing on Watt still invokes remorse in retrospect.
Honorable mention: CB Tre'Davious White (UFA)
While Watt represents the all-time talent that the Titans chose not to take at No. 18 overall, Tennessee also had the chance to address cornerback by selecting Tre'Davious White with the pick. White became a first-team All-Pro honoree in 2019 and led the NFL in interceptions that season with six. He added a second-team All-Pro nod in 2020.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: 2017 NFL re-draft: Tennessee Titans pass on Adoree' Jackson at No. 18
Continue reading...
