2018 NFL Draft: Tennessee Titans 7-round mock draft
By Joe Romano
Round 5 – Pick 164
Jessie Bates, S, Wake Forest
This may be one of those instances where the mock is a little lower on a player than where he actually will be valued. Jessie Bates out of Wake Forest is one of the sleepers in this deep safety draft class after surprising some with his decision to enter. Tennessee is in the market for a safety next to Kevin Byard if they decide to cut Jonathan Cyprien to save some cap space.
A young, long playmaker like Bates could pair well in the back end. He is a ball hawk who could grow into a better tackler as he adds weight to his 6-foot-2 frame. He was a tackling machine in college and that should continue at the next level. Bates would give Tennessee one of the more exciting young secondaries in the NFL.
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Round 6 – Pick 202
Kentavius Street, DL, North Carolina State
Jurrell Casey is entrenched up front as one of the league’s best interior defensive lineman. The Titans should be looking for depth along their defensive line. They already grabbed an edge in Kylie Fitts earlier in the draft. Now they go with a disruptive interior force in North Carolina State’s Kentavius Street.
Overshadowed by the likely top-5 pick in Bradley Chubb in college, Street was part of one of the best defensive lines in the country. He lacks the ideal size to play on the edge, as he did in college. He looks best suited in an odd front like the one they run in Tennessee.
From that 3-4 defensive end position he could be more of a strong presence inside freeing up linebackers. Street possesses NFL level power without the athleticism needed to excel. He is probably best suited bulking up at the next level, especially in this type of defense.