Titans sign first-round pick Isaiah Wilson to rookie contract

Isaiah Wilson was the final first-round draft pick to sign his rookie contract

With NFL training camps beginning to open up this past week, we’ve seen a bevy of picks from the 2020 NFL Draft class officially sign their rookie deals. From Joe Burrow to Clyde Edwards-Helaire, all first-round selections were accounted for, except the 29th overall pick.

That all changed on Monday, as the Tennessee Titans signed former Georgia offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson to his rookie contract. The delay for signing Wilson came after he was placed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list, which prevented him from entering the facility to officially put pen to paper. Wilson was effectively removed from said list on Monday.

Wilson will fight for a starter’s spot in training camp

The Titans are coming off a Cinderella season, where they defeated the heavily-favored New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens to clinch a spot in the AFC Championship Game. After falling to the eventual Super Bowl champions in the Kansas City Chiefs, the Titans saw starting right tackle Jack Conklin sign a massive contract with the Cleveland Browns in free agency.

So, the Titans had an obvious void that needed to be filled on draft night, which was filled by the 6-foot-6, 350-pound rookie tackle.

Wilson was part of Georgia’s dominant offensive line, where he paired alongside Andrew Thomas, the eventual fourth overall pick by the New York Giants. Among the first-round offensive tackles taken, Wilson had the second-best pass-blocking grade (82.7) by Pro Football Focus, which was lower than Thomas but higher than Jedrick Wills (Cleveland Browns), Mekhi Becton (New York Jets) and Tristan Wirfs (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

While Wilson is strong as a pass blocker, he’s even better in rushing situations. Pro Football Focus gave the tackle the fifth-best run-blocking grade (75.5) amongst his first-round counterparts. That’s good news for Derrick Henry, as he’s the lifeline of Tennessee’s offense.

It might not be immediate, but Wilson should be able to crack the Titans’ starting lineup at some point in his rookie season.