Despite what has been an exciting offseason thus far, The Tennessee Titans still have a slew of needs to address moving forward, with one of them coming along the defensive line.
The Titans entered the offseason in need of a pair of defensive linemen. The hope was Tennessee could fill one of those needs with the re-signing of Denico Autry, but he left in free agency to the Houston Texans.
As of now, the only move Tennessee has made upfront has been the signing of Sebastian Joseph-Day.
Knowing their need upfront, it comes as no surprise the Titans are showing interest in Missouri defensive lineman, Darius Robinson, who the team has held a virtual meeting with, per Justin Melo of The Draft Network.
The #Titans held a virtual meeting with #Missouri DL Darius Robinson, per a team source.
Robinson had 8.5 sacks in the SEC this season and possesses great inside-outside versatility.
If Robinson is on the board at 38, he could project as an ideal replacement for Denico Autry.
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) April 1, 2024
Here’s more on the 6-foot-5, 285-pound lineman, per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:
Right out of the gate, Robinson’s physical attributes should give him a potential advantage in head-to-head matchups. He has jarring power in his hands and a twitchy upper body to get rid of blockers quickly. His arm length is a weapon at the point of attack. His play can lack control and awareness at times, but the good outweighs the bad. He’s a good athlete, but his pass rush is predictable. He lacks potent moves and counters as an edge rusher, leaning heavily on force. Robinson’s power and motor increase the chances he becomes a good starting base end who reduces inside on third downs.
As Melo notes, Robinson could end up being a good replacement for Autry, although expecting him to fill those shoes in Year 1 is expecting too much. The versatile Robinson also has the ability to kick inside if need be.
Most projections have him going on Day 2, so the Titans, who don’t own a third-round pick, would likely have to jump on him at No. 38 overall.