.The 2018 NFL Draft is 92 days away. You read that right, 92 days. The NFL draft begins April 26, 2018, and the rumor mills are buzzing. Speculation as to where all the top prospects will be drafted and in what order they are drafted in abound. The Tennessee Titans are among the 32 teams looking to improve their rosters to take them that next step closer to the ultimate goal. Winning the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LIII. Taking a look at a potential grand slam prospect the Titans should draft in April, Texas A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk.
Tennessee has a plethora of young talent on both offense centered around rising quarterback Marcus Mariota. Last season, the Titans drafted Corey Davis, a 6’2″ wide receiver out of Central Michigan who showed a lot of promise after overcoming an injury-riddled start to the season. With punishing running back Derrick Henry poised to take the next step and elevate the Titan rushing attack the offense is ready to take it up a notch. If Tennessee wants to take the next step, the front office should look no further than the talented Kirk.
Why Christian Kirk:
With wide receiver Eric Decker becoming a free agent after finishing his one-year contract with the Titans last season, an obvious position becomes available and giving Mariota another talented, young wide receiver to pair with Davis seems like a no-brainer. But why Kirk? The answer lies in the skillset and play style of Kirk and his fit with the Titans.
This past season at Texas A&M, Kirk finished with 71 receptions amounting to 919 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns. Those are impressive numbers, especially considering college teams play two or three fewer games than in the NFL. Obviously, this shows the talent and production are there. This raises the question, what separates Kirk from the rest of the wide receivers in this draft?
Speed
Kirk doesn’t have the typical size that makes NFL scouts drool. He does have all the intangibles that make up for it though. Kirk is listed at 5’11” and weighs in at 200 lbs. That stocky frame makes him incredibly hard to bring down, particularly in the open field. Kirk has borderline elite wide receiver speed, projected to run a 4.43 40 yard dash time.
The safety over the top bit just for a moment and that was enough for kirk to beat him.
With speed and power, the only thing missing is catching ability. Kirk is capable of catching footballs and in great volume. In his final game with Texas A&M, a 55-52 heartbreaking loss in the Belk Bowl, Kirk put up an impressive stat line, finishing with 13 catches for 189 yards and three touchdowns.
Adding Christian Kirk and his ability to play all over the field would make a dangerous dynamic duo for Mariota to work with. Adding a dynamic receiving core with a young, talented mobile quarterback and a powerful, lightning-quick young Derrick Henry, the Titans offense would be hard to handle.
