Titans Could Add Depth At Linebacker In Draft

NASHVILLE- The Tennessee Titans used free agency to add two new linebackers to the roster, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Luke Gifford, who join Monty Rice, Jack Gibbens, Joe Jones, and Chance Campbell among the names currently on the team's linebacker corps. 

While there are adequate bodies among that group, like almost every position, the team could stand to upgrade the talent level. 

Head coach Mike Vrabel seemed high on Gibbens and the potential of Campbell, who will return from a season-ending knee injury in 2022, and both will have a chance to compete in training camp. 

Here are three players, and a bonus player, who the Titans could look at in this draft and free agency.

Mohamoud Diabate: Utah  

There's a good reason why the 6'3", 225 lb. former Utes star has already visited Nashville as a Top 30 visitor. Diabate is fast (4.51 forty at his pro day after not being invited to the combine) and athletic, having posted a 3-cone time of 6.96 and an 11-foot broad jump.     

As a senior, Diabate posted 58 tackles, career-highs in tackles for loss with 13.5, and sacks with five for the Utes. He participated in the East-West Shrine Game following last season.  

Sports Illustrated's Prospect Profile had this to say of Diabate.

Light-footed mover in space with very good lateral agility to slip blocks and be a threat on the blitz. Diabate takes frequent steps in coverage. He takes favorable angles to receivers, displaying locating skills. His length and springiness allow him to make plays on passes behind him from underneath zones. Diabate gets downhill when he has a lane, making the occasional play in the backfield. Very skinny and severely undersized which is apparent when he has to play in traffic where he is physically overwhelmed by offensive linemen. Diabate struggles to read the mesh point correctly and recover after play action. When flowing, he takes his eyes off the ball carrier, missing his marks by yards. A low tackler, he has frequent misses because of his reliance on tripping runners up. Diabate gets caught flat-footed in space. He is late to time his get-off when blitzing. Severely undersized linebacker who has intriguing movement skills. Diabate is serviceable in space. In traffic, blockers overwhelm him and he struggles to tackle. Slow processing and inconsistent eye discipline cause him to be in bad positions. Diabate projects as a potential tryout candidate who has a long way to go before making a practice squad. His athleticism could help him in a different league if he can improve fundamentals and bulk up. 

Ventrell Miller: Florida

Titans coaches have reportedly spent time with Miller, a physical and experienced linebacker who has played in 49 games over five seasons with the Gators. Though undersized at 6'0" and 211 lbs. Miller was a tackling machine for Florida throughout his career. 

Miller is also considered a smart player, having earned his degree, and was twice a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll (2019-20).

Sports Illustrated's Prospect Profile had this to say of Miller.

Smart linebacker with good eyes and play recognition. Miller recognizes play action to gain depth and finds ball carriers, triggering quickly when he has a free run at them. He is a very reliable tackler, wrapping opponents up on a consistent basis. His effort is apparent, running down plays and making tackles downfield. In coverage, he locates vertical routes and is able to turn and run before passing them off to safeties. A below average athlete for his size, Miller does not have the explosiveness required for a player of his size. He is slow to close even on ball carriers that are not dynamic. A lack of twitch causes him to give up separation at the top of routes. In man coverage, he is unable to find the ball. Miller does not show the physicality or hand usage to take on blocks. He does not stack them, trying to slip blocks with varying success. Smart backer with below average athleticism. Miller is a reliable tackler with good eyes and recognition skills. A lack of athleticism limits his playmaking ability. He does not have the play strength required to take on blocks. Miller projects as a potential backup linebacker. It is tough to find a spot for him due to his lack of size and athleticism. If his tackling translates to special teams, he can make a roster. 

DeMarvion Overshown: Texas

Another smart, athletic linebacker, Overshown, brings good size (6'2", 230 lbs) and speed (4.56) along with a 10'4" broad jump. His 15 reps of 225 lbs were perhaps somewhat disappointing at the combine. 

However, what he might lack in physical strength, he makes up for with his speed and ability to play sideline to sideline and make plays at every level. Like Miller, Overshown is game tested, having played in 50 games, starting 33 for the Longhorns during his five years in Austin. 

Having switched from defensive back to linebacker following the 2020 season, Overshown is an experienced cover linebacker, though he must continue to work and improve in his new position. 

 Sports Illustrated's Prospect Profile had this to say of Overshown. 

Lengthy frame with an athletic build but sturdy base. Frequently plays as the overhang when faced with 3x1 sets. Some edge alignment where he can run the hoop en route to the quarterback. Range as a zone dropper, length makes the hook-curl area off-limits for quarterbacks. Can flow to the boundary and set an edge as a sideline-to-sideline player. Aggressive tackler, velocity, and explosion upon contact but typically controlled. Takes poor angles both in coverage and open-field tackling. Plays too loosely, not a lot of juice or twitch, making him look like he's in slow motion at times. Late to read and react. Too late to get off his landmark in coverage or trigger on goal-line runs. Hips are tight, labors when tasked with changing direction quickly. Overshown has a lot of traits that teams will desire. His length is rarely seen for typical inside linebackers, making him an asset in pass coverage. Pairing this with a fiery demeanor that shows up on every tackle and some edge alignment versatility and we have tools to work with. A big question will be how well he tests in the pre-draft process as well as his performance during Senior Bowl week in Mobile.

The Extra

Zach Cunningham, Free Agent

Cunningham remains a free agent and could be under consideration to return to the Titans at a lower salary. 

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