NFL draft guru, ESPN’s Mel Kiper, recently released a two-round mock draft in which the Tennessee Titans selected Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson at No. 26 overall in the first round.
Kiper was on a conference call with reporters on Thursday and explained why he chose Dotson for the Titans in that spot, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online.
“I think Dotson is the guy, who, when the ball is in his hands, (he is) dynamic,” Kiper explained. “He is a dynamic performer. Some think he is more of a 2 – and there’s some mixed opinions on Jahan Dotson, and that’s why I have him going 26. Some think that’s a little too high, some think second round. But the majority, the consensus I’ve built, was more late first. But it wouldn’t shock me if he got into the second round.”
Kiper also revealed that he thought about going offensive line for the Titans in the first round, which is arguably as big of a need as wide receiver, and he believes the selection of a running back is possible for Tennessee later in the draft.
“I thought about going o-line (for the Titans at 26), and I went away from that,” Kiper said. “I think maybe (later the Titans) could look at Kenneth Walker III (from Michigan State) as a back-up to Derrick (Henry) at some point down the line just a bit, but I don’t think he gets into round 3, round 4. I think a running back at some point makes sense.”
While Dotson was his pick, NDSU’s Christian Watson is the player who Kiper believes is the best-case scenario for Tennessee in Round 1. Watson ended up going No. 22 overall to the Green Bay Packers in his mock.
“If you want to say best-case, Watson, with the length he has,” Kiper said. “He averaged over 20 yards a catch. … He is great with the ball in his hands, and he had a heck of a Senior Bowl week. He ran well, the length. He is a guy who had a high average per catch every (year). He goes and gets the football with the catch radius. I think the best case scenario for (the Titans) may be Christian Watson, who I had going to Green Bay a little bit earlier.”
As much as I like Dotson and Watson, I’m in the camp of both being second-round picks.
If Drake London, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jameson Williams and Treylon Burks are all off the board when Tennessee is up, give me an offensive lineman like Zion Johnson or Kenyon Green instead.
