Titans Rookie DB May Move Up Depth Chart Quickly

The Tennessee Titans are taking a flier on California defensive back Marcus Harris after choosing him in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.

Harris was the No. 183 overall pick, the penultimate selection for the Titans in the draft ahead of Michigan running back Kalel Mullings.

Despite being picked so late on Day 3, NFL.com analyst Chad Reuter believes that Harris could see a decent amount of playing time for the Titans in his rookie season.

"Harris didn’t back down from the challenge of moving from the FCS (Idaho) to the FBS (California), immediately making the starting lineup for the Golden Bears," Reuter wrote.

"Any injuries or inconsistent play from Tennessee's starting cornerbacks could force coaches to put Harris' instincts, wiry strength and quickness on the field."

The same thing happened last year to fifth-round rookie Jarvis Brownlee Jr. After injuries to L'Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie, Brownlee was expected to step up, and he did just that.

Brownlee started 14 games as a rookie, and he could provide a road block towards playing time for Harris, but there's also reason to believe the Cal defensive back could see the field quickly for the Titans.

"Compact cornerback with small barriers in his coverage but impressive ball production in his four seasons as a starter," NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein wrote.

"Harris possesses good foot agility and play strength in man coverage. Despite his footwork, he can be crossed up and left out of position by quality route-runners. The good news is he has major make-up burst to close the distance and impressive top-end speed if he needs to travel deep with the route. He needs to play with more consistent eye discipline and route leverage from zone. Harris lacks length, but his on-ball production, play strength and speed give him a chance to become a CB4 with inside/outside versatility."

Harris will participate in the team's rookie minicamp later this week to begin his ascent up the depth chart.