Solid Starter
Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU – Round 2 
Tennessee had big holes at cornerback and right tackle entering the 2020 NFL Draft, and the team was fortunate to land a quality corner like Fulton in the second round. Fulton got some hype as a first-rounder by the media, but teams had him graded on Day 2 and felt that was where he belonged. Still, the Titans got a corner who could develop into a solid, if unspectacular, starter in the NFL.
For the NFL, Fulton projects as a starting cornerback who could contribute with significant playing time in his rookie season. He has quality instincts in coverage with versatility for the next level. Fulton can play off-man coverage, press-man, zone, outside, or inside at the slot. In 2019, Fulton showed the ability to run the route and prevent separation. He has quality feet with fluid athleticism to stay with receivers. Along with his skill set, Fulton challenges receivers and closes quickly.
Fulton does a good job of running with receivers and preventing separation, but he needs to improve his discipline and also could stand to do a better job of defending the ball on 50-50 plays – see the 2019 Texas game where he gave up a touchdown and pass interference. Fulton can get too physical downfield with grabbing and fighting, which could draw painful pass interference penalties in the NFL. Using his size and speed to run with wideouts rather than hand fighting and riding them downfield will be a point of emphasis for Fulton, along with improving his ability to handle those 50-50 jump balls.
The Titans have veteran starters in Malcolm Butler and Adoree’ Jackson returning, but on the majority of plays a defense uses three cornerbacks. They have other veterans like Johnathan Joseph to play immediately, and that is perfect for Fulton to develop before being forced to play. Fulton could learn a lot from a veteran like Joseph. Over time, I believe Fulton will emerge as a solid starter for Tennessee.
2019: A.J. Brown, WR
2018: Dane Cruikshank, S
2017: Corey Davis, WR
2016: Jack Conklin, OT
2015: Jalston Fowler, FB
2014: Bishop Sankey, RB
2013: Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB
Most Likely To Bust
Darrynton Evans, RB, Appalachian State – Round 3 
Dion Lewis was a bad free agent signing by Jon Robinson, but Derrick Henry covered up the mistake by carrying the Titans into the playoffs and a run to the AFC Championship game in 2019. Henry took on a massive work load, so it makes sense that Tennessee would want to add more running back depth to lessen the burden on Henry. However, Evans in the third round was basically a redux of Lewis as they are both smaller speed backs.
Perhaps the Titans will have more success with Evans, but he could have some of the same pitfalls as Lewis. Evans (5-10, 203) could have hard time holding up at the NFL level, and he doesn’t have the size to be a three-down starter. Tennessee clearly wanted a speed back to go with Henry, but over the past couple of seasons, it was illustrated that the Titans’ offensive line functions better with a power back. I think it would have made more sense for the Titans to go with a more well-rounded backup running back rather than a smaller speed back, as that did not work well with Lewis. Of the early-round picks from Tennessee, Evans seems to have the most bust potential.
2019: Nate Davis, G
2018: Harold Landry, DE
2017: Taywan Taylor, WR
2016: Kevin Dodd, DE
2015: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR
2014: Marqueston Huff, S
2013: Zavier Gooden, LB
Potential Boom Pick
Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia – Round 1 
Titans general manager Job Robinson made a mistake in 2016 when he took Jack Conklin out of Michigan State rather than Laremy Tunsil. A tackle tandem of Tunsil and Taylor Lewan could have been the best tandem in the NFL. However, I think Robinson was wise not to overpay Conklin in a new contract. While Conklin played well overall last year in a contract season, the previous two years were disappointing, and even his heralded rookie year was not as good as the hype. The performance in those years led to the Titans not picking up his fifth-year option, and the Browns overpaid Conklin in free agency. After some growing pains, I think Isaiah Wilson could be an upgrade over Conklin and give the Titans a superb tackle tandem.
In the ground game, there are plays where Wilson (6-6, 350) is a road grader who can absolutely defenders out of their gaps. He can get into the chest of defenders and ride them around. Wilson shows the power to bull them backward and finish them off with violence. He has the strength to push defenders around and maintain blocks. For a big blocker, Wilson is surprisingly quick to the second level and fires into space well. As a pro, Wilson should present a size mismatch and should be a real asset as a run blocker.
For pass blocking, Wilson has excellent size on the edge and length that makes him difficult for pass rushers to run around. On top of mismatch size, Wilson has surprising foot quickness and athleticism to get get depth in his drop. He is able to head off speed rushers and has the strength to stop bull rushes.
Wilson has some inconsistency to his game that needs to get cleared up for the NFL. While there were plays where he looked like a monster in college, there were also some bad beats that made one wonder how he could be the same player. There are some technical issues for Wilson to improve upon, like hand placement, as he can get too wide. Wilson also can stand up too high at times and not maintain good leverage. There is no doubt that Wilson has a ton of ability, but he has some raw elements to work out. A lot of team sources felt that Wilson could have been a top-10 pick in 2021 or 2022 had he stayed at Georgia and continued to develop.
I think the Titans will coach up Wilson and end up having a very good starting right tackle. He could be a monster road grader for Derrick Henry and has the skill set to be a good pass protector. Wilson has the potential to be a boom pick for Tennessee.
2019: Jeff Simmons, DT
2018: Rashaan Evans, LB
2017: Adoree’ Jackson, CB
2016: Derrick Henry, RB
2015: Marcus Mariota, QB
2014: Taylor Lewan, OT
2013: Chance Warmack, G
Future Depth Player
Larrell Murchison, DT, N.C. State – Round 5 
The Titans needed to build up the depth on their defensive line after trading veteran Jurrell Casey this offseason. Jeff Simmons could be a breakout star in the NFL next season, but adding Murchison was a nice depth addition. Murchison lacks the size to be a three-down starter, but he is a quick interior rusher who can collapse the pocket. In the sub package, Murchison could be a valuable rotational rusher to line up inside next to Simmons. While he may not become a starter, Murchison could easily become a quality depth contributor for Tennessee.
2019: D’Andre Walker, LB
2018: Luke Falk, QB
2017: Jonnu Smith, TE
2016: Tajae Sharpe, WR
2015: David Cobb, RB
2014: Zach Mettenberger, QB
2013: Justin Hunter, WR
Walt’s 2020 NFL Draft Grades:
29. Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia – B Grade
This is a rock solid pick by the Titans. It’s also not surprising in the slightest. The Titans love to bully teams in the trenches, and that was going to be difficult with Jack Conklin gone. Wilson, who has good athleticism at his massive size, should be able to challenge Dennis Kelly for the starting right tackle spot as a rookie.
61. Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU – C Grade
I don’t know why everyone was wondering about Kristian Fulton falling in the draft. I considered Fulton to be a third-round prospect. I don’t think he ever cracked the second round in any of my updates, so this is a slight reach. Fulton was torched routinely last year, and I imagine Deshaun Watson is licking his chops. Still, there’s a bit of upside here, as Fulton might improve if he gets over all of his injuries.
93. Darrynton Evans, RB, Appalachian State – B+ Grade
Dion Lewis is gone, so the Titans needed to find some help at running back, especially given how much of a workload Derrick Henry handled last year. History says Henry will probably break down soon, so the Titans needed a good insurance policy to take over when that happens. Evans is a solid choice at this juncture.
174. Larrell Murchison, DT, N.C. State – B+ Grade
It can’t be a surprise that Mike Vrabel drafted someone who will help him bully other teams around in the trenches. Murchison can get to the quarterback well, so he’ll be able to play passing downs for the Titans. I had him a bit earlier than this, so I like this pick.
224. Cole McDonald, QB, Hawaii – B Grade
Cole McDonald is a smart quarterback, so if he sticks in the NFL, he’ll be a nice backup who will be beneficial in the meeting room. However, his arm strength is horrible, so he may just become a coach.
243. Chris Jackson, S, Marshall – C Grade
I didn’t have Chris Jackson in my top 600. He’s a UDFA player, obviously, but we’re getting near the end of the draft, so it’s not terrible to take someone like this.
2020 NFL Draft Team Grade: B . Follow Walter @walterfootball for updates.
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