Tennessee Titans: Grading the 2020 NFL Draft class, pick-by-pick analysis

Draft Grade: D+

When Isaiah Wilson was gaining some first-round traction leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft, I feared the destination might be the Tennessee Titans. While the scheme and playing type of the prospect are a good match, Isaiah Wilson is far from a first-round pick.

Isaiah Wilson is my 13th-ranked tackle and my 27th-ranked offensive line prospect overall. I just do not see Wilson being a reliable player early in his career and was shocked to see him come off the board so early in the 2020 NFL Draft.

To me, Isaiah Wilson is really like The Incredible Hulk playing tackle. He is big (6-foot-6 and 350 lbs), strong, fairly athletic but is more brawn and brute than brains and technique as a blocker. With a tendency to over-lean, especially in pass protection, Wilson can get stood up by defenders rather easily.

Wilson really needs to improve his footwork, hand placement and pad level if he wants to excel at the next level. Far too often he gets taken advantage of in both the run and the pass game by players that have no business beating a guy with his size and strength.

Even when Wilson does “win” at the point of attack, he seems to be more of a hitter and a thrower than someone who really sustains blocks and drives defenders back. Sometimes that mentality can work to his advantage, using the defender’s momentum against them to guide them out of the play, but I would love to see Wilson be a more dominant force as a blocker.

I do believe that with the right guidance and refinement, Wilson can develop into a solid blocker. Especially in a power run scheme like the Tennessee Titans run, Wilson should be able to be an impactful player. However, I think that will take time to happen, and the Titans are looking to win right now.

I thought there were much more NFL-ready players at the position that could come in and be viable starters right away. With the Wilson pick, it seems as though the Tennessee Titans are confident in Dennis Kelly as the starter while Wilson develops.

I give this pick a “D+” grade. Generally, Isaiah Wilson going in the first round would be an “F” in my mind. He is more like a third or fourth-round prospect in my mind, but the team fit bumps the grade up slightly. The Titans probably should have gone after a more well-rounded, ready-to-play prospect at right tackle, but Wilson does have the upside to be a dominant force in that Tennessee Titans system down the road.