Titans Hold 22Nd Overall Pick, Nine Total Selections in 2021 Nfl Draft
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 21, 2021 TITANS HOLD 22ND OVERALL PICK, NINE TOTAL SELECTIONS IN 2021 NFL DRAFT Draft set for April 29–May 1 NASHVILLE — The Titans are scheduled to have the 22nd overall selection and nine total picks in the 86th Annual National Football League Player Selection Meeting, beginning April 29 in Cleveland, Ohio. The draft opens with the first round on Thursday, 2021 nfl draft schedule April 29 at 7 p.m. CT. Rounds 2 and 3 are set for the following evening, beginning at 6 p.m. CT, and the draft Round 1: Thursday, April 29, 7 p.m. CT concludes with Rounds 4-7 on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. Rounds 2-3: Friday, April 30, 6 p.m. CT Multiple locations in Cleveland will be used during the festivities, including FirstEnergy Stadium, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Great Rounds 4-7: Saturday, May 1, 11 a.m. CT Lakes Science Center. The NFL will welcome a select number of draft prospects to the draft TV Coverage: NFL Network stage in Cleveland with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, while others ABC (WKRN-TV News 2 in Nashville) will participate remotely from their homes. Last year the entire draft was ESPN conducted in virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic after originally ESPN Deportes being planned for Las Vegas. Titans personnel involved in the selection process, including executive Nashville Radio: Titans Radio (Flagship 104.5 The Zone) vice president/general manager Jon Robinson and head coach Mike , will be stationed together and following appropriate protocols in a Vrabel National Radio: Westwood One Radio temporary draft room in Nashville's MetroCenter as Saint Thomas Sports SiriusXM NFL Radio Park undergoes major renovations this offseason. The last time the NFL had an in-person draft was 2019, when Nashville ESPN Radio hosted the festivities for the first time. A record 600,000 fans attended the three-day affair, which is the premier event on the NFL’s offseason calendar. ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ The television audience in 2019 reached 47.5 million viewers. DRAFT BROADCASTS FIRST-ROUND DRAFT ORDER as of April 21 All three days of the 2021 NFL Draft will be televised on NFL Network, ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ABC, including Nashville affiliate WKRN News 2. 1. Jacksonville 16. Arizona ESPN and ABC will provide distinct prime-time presentations on Day 1 2. N.Y. Jets 17. Las Vegas and Day 2. ESPN will offer a traditional draft telecast, while ABC broadcast 3. San Francisco (from Hou 18. Miami will cover the event with an emphasis on the individual journeys of NFL Draft through Mia) 19. Washington prospects. On Day 3, the ESPN coverage will be simulcast on ABC. 4. Atlanta 20. Chicago Coverage will be streamed live via NFL and ESPN digital properties 5. Cincinnati 21. Indianapolis across devices (phone, PC, tablet and connected TVs). NFL Network or 6. Miami (from Phi) 22. Tennessee ESPN authentication may be required. 7. Detroit 23. N.Y. Jets (from Sea) The Titans Radio Network, including Nashville flagship 104.5 The Zone, 8. Carolina 24. Pittsburgh will carry draft programming across the Mid-South with , Mike Keith Dave 9. Denver 25. Jacksonville (from LAR) McGinnis, Amie Wells and Rhett Bryan. 10. Dallas 26. Cleveland National radio coverage will be provided by SiriusXM NFL Radio, Westwood One and ESPN Radio. 11. N.Y. Giants 27. Baltimore Meanwhile, draft information will be updated continuously at 12. Philadelphia (from SF 28. New Orleans TennesseeTitans.com, the Titans mobile app and on all official team social through Mia) 29. Green Bay channels. 13. L.A. Chargers 30. Buffalo 14. Minnesota 31. Kansas City NINE PICKS 15. New England 32. Tampa Bay The Titans’ nine total picks are comprised of six of their seven original selections, one compensatory pick, plus two choices acquired in trades. TennesseeTitans.com/Media 2021 Tennessee Titans Draft Preview Page 2 of 44 For the first time since 2013, the Titans were awarded a compensatory selection as a result of net losses in unrestricted free agency last year. The extra third-round pick is the 100th overall selection. Teams are permitted to trade compensatory picks. TITANS SELECTIONS The Titans added a sixth-round pick for 2021 (215th overall) from the Kansas City Chiefs as a result of dealing a seventh-rounder to the Chiefs during the 2020 draft. The Titans currently own the following selections in the 2021 In the seventh round, the Titans hold the 232nd overall pick as a result NFL Draft: of a trade that sent offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson to the Miami Dolphins. Tennessee's original seventh-round pick was packaged with outside Selection Overall linebacker Kamalei Correa and sent to the Jacksonville Jaguars during the Round In Round Selection 2020 campaign in exchange for a sixth-rounder in 2021. That same sixth- round pick was subsequently used by the Titans to trade for Los Angeles 1 22 22 Chargers cornerback Desmond King II. 2 21 53 The Titans have not drafted more than six players in any year since 3 21 85 2017, when they had nine selections. They picked four players in 2018 and 3 36 100 (compensatory) six players in both 2019 and 2020. 4 21 126 5 22 166 THE 22ND PICK 6 21 205 In determining draft order, non-playoff clubs select first through 18th, 6 31 215 (from Kansas City) according to the reverse order of their standing (i.e., the team with the lowest 7 4 232 (from Miami) winning percentage receives the first pick, the team with the second-lowest winning percentage receives the second pick, etc.). Playoff teams select Tennessee's original seventh-round pick (249th overall) was 19th through 32nd based on their level of advancement in the postseason. traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Titans finished 11-5 during the 2020 regular season and advanced to the wild card round. The Indianapolis Colts did the same, and as a result the two division rivals will rotate picks 21 and 22 in each round. Based on the 2020 strength-of-schedule tiebreaker (.475 for the Titans; .443 for the Colts), the Colts will pick ahead of the Titans in Round 1, the Titans will pick in front of the Colts in the second round, etc. There have been two prior drafts in franchise history in which the team DRAFT FACTS used the 22nd overall pick. In 1988, the Oilers used the pick on Michigan 86th Annual National Football League Player State running back Lorenzo White. Over the next seven seasons, White WHAT: appeared in 95 games for the Oilers, rushing for 4,079 yards and 29 Selection Meeting touchdowns and adding 184 receptions for 1,674 yards and six scores. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 1992. WHEN: 7 p.m. CDT, Thursday, April 29 (Round 1) More recently, the Titans traded up to the 22nd slot (from 25) to select 6 p.m. CDT, Friday, April 30 (Rounds 2-3) Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans in 2018. Evans has started every 11 a.m. CDT, Saturday, May 1 (Rounds 4-7) game for the team for the past two seasons. He led the team with 139 tackles in 2019 and ranked third with 96 stops in 2020. TIMING: The first round will conclude on Thursday by approximately 11 One year ago the 22nd pick was Louisiana State wide receiver Justin p.m.. CT In 2020, the first round consumed three hours and 54 minutes. Jefferson, who was taken by the Minnesota Vikings. Jefferson made the The second and third rounds will conclude on Friday by approximately 11 Pro Bowl as a rookie after totaling 88 receptions for 1,400 yards and seven p.m. CT. The second and third rounds took a combined four hours and 49 touchdowns. minutes in 2020. The draft will conclude by approximately 6 p.m. CT on In 54 drafts since 1967, when the NFL and AFL agreed to a “common Saturday with the final four rounds. Rounds 4 through 7 took six hours and draft,” there have been 10 total No. 22 overall picks (18.5 percent) that have 47 minutes in 2020. made at least one Pro Bowl: White, linebacker Jack Reynolds (selected in 1970 by the Los Angeles Rams), defensive back Hanford Dixon (1981, SEVEN ROUNDS: Seven Rounds – Round 1 on Thursday, April Cleveland Browns), defensive back Gill Byrd (1983, San Diego Chargers), 29; Rounds 2 through 3 on Friday, April 30; and Rounds 4 through 7 on tackle Harris Barton (1987, San Francisco 49ers), wide receiver Andre Saturday, May 1. Rison (1989, Indianapolis Colts), wide receiver Percy Harvin (2009, There will be 259 total selections, including 36 compensatory choices Minnesota Vikings), wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (2010, Denver that have been awarded to 17 teams. A total of 32 compensatory picks are Broncos), defensive back (2013, Atlanta Falcons) and Desmond Trufant awarded to teams for losing more or better compensatory free agents than Jefferson. it acquires in the previous year. The picks are positioned within the third The Titans own the 53rd overall pick in the second round, and their through sixth rounds based on the value of the compensatory free agents initial pick in the third round is 85th overall. The latter is one spot sooner than lost and are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and would otherwise be the case due to the New England Patriots' forfeiture of their third-round pick. postseason honors. Tennessee was awarded a third-round compensatory pick (100th overall) this year. Teams are permitted under NFL bylaws to trade compensatory picks.