Though Mariota was sacked 38 times in 12 games, Robinson expressed confidence in the Titans’ current left tackle Taylor Lewan, a MI product who just completed his second National Football League season.
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Robinson, Tennessee’s first-year GM, said left tackle is a “premium position” and Mississippi’s Laremy Tunsil is a favorite to go No. 1 overall in April. Here at the NFL Combine, Titans general manager Jon Robinson and coach Mike Mularkey were both questioned about the possibility of moving Lewan on the offensive line by next season. Mularkey thinks Lewan has the ability to play on the right.
“We certainly don’t want to be in this position next year”, Robinson said.
“I don’t think many people know how important football is to me”, he said.
The 6-5, 310-pound Tunsil was as smooth at his first pro podium as he was dominating for the Rebels as he blocked everything in sight.
The Titans hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and it’s no secret the Titans want to protect their franchise QB.
“He has played a lot of football in the SEC, ” Robinson said of Tunsil.
“He’s a good athlete”. “Taylor is a good football player. I’m looking forward to meeting him and getting him to know him a little bit”. “I will give them everything I can to protect Mariota”.
The Titans have made clear that protecting Marcus Mariota is their top priority, and so it’s highly likely that they’ll draft a left tackle. NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock floated a scenario this week in which the Titans coming out of the first round with Stanley and extra picks would be their ultimate win-win situation.
“I’ve seen an bad lot of Ronnie Stanley”, Mayock said. “That’s one thing I’ve really respected about Jon”. We want to move on from having the No. 1 pick.
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“I just think I’m the best”. Such happens when you are about to be wealthy financially and set to the the top pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Right tackles were more often mauling, run-blocking specialists, like former Titan David Stewart. “But I think you’ve got to be careful you don’t over analyze things, as well”. “Your right tackle in the old days was kind of like – he’d better be a tough run blocker”. You guys will have a lot of fun trying to get it out of him.
