2020 NFL mock draft: Jalen Hurts lands with Titans
By Brad Weiss
35. . Quarterback. Tennessee Titans. Jalen Hurts. 13. player
A week after looking so good against the Atlanta Falcons, the Tennessee Titans offense came back down to earth in an embarrassing loss to the Buffalo Bills at home. Quarterback Marcus Mariota is playing for his Titans career this season, and seeing as he has been so inconsistent, they may decide to move in a new direction next April.
Of all the quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft class, few are as exciting to watch as Jalen Hurts from Oklahoma. The transfer from Alabama could be the third straight Sooners quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy this season, and based on how he has developed as a passer, he has put himself in the conversation of being a first round pick.
If the Titans are picking in the first half of the draft next April, the season has gone off the rails, and they will be making a move away from Mariota at quarterback. Hurts has that championship pedigree you look for in a franchise quarterback, and now that he is more comfortable in the pocket, the Titans may decide he is the successor to Mariota next Spring.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Trey Smith. 14. player. 48. . Offensive Tackle
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are another team that has enjoyed a roller coaster start to the 2019 NFL season, as they look good one week, and then poor the next. The marriage between Bruce Arians and Jameis Winston will be challenged all season long, as Winston has the talent to be a franchise NFL quarterback, but struggles to look like one from week to week.
On Sunday, the Bucs hung in tough against a strong New Orleans Saints team on the road, but in the end, they fell to 2-3 on the season. If the Bucs decide to roll with Winston under center for the foreseeable future, they have to get better up front, and that is where they should focus their 2020 first round pick.
Luckily for Tampa Bay, there are some strong offensive tackles in this draft class, including Trey Smith from Tennessee. He has the size to be a starting left tackle at the NFL level, and would team well with Donovan Smith, who is also a young player that the Buccaneers are counting on to be a building block along the offensive line for years to come.