NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The only thing even more taxing for rookies than making the jump from college to the NFL is learning a new position in the process.

Welcome to the world of Titans defensive back Dane Cruikshank, who is taking Introduction to Safety 101 after playing all of 12 snaps at that spot during his senior season, according to Pro Football Focus.

The fifth-round pick out of Arizona spent most of last year as a slot cornerback, where he just happened to hold opposing quarterbacks to a rating of 65.1 when throwing in his direction.

In fact, Cruikshank said Tuesday that of all the NFL teams he spoke to leading up to the draft, only two were interested in him as a safety – as opposed to a cornerback.

"It's a challenge, definitely a challenge," Cruikshank said. "It's definitely something I've never really played before. But it's definitely something I like. I'm getting used to it, day by day, and it's going to make me a smarter player by the end."

Just what makes the Titans believe Cruikshank might make a better safety than corner?

Start with the 6-1, 209-pound Cruikshank's sound, heavy-hitting ability.

Cruikshank racked up 75 tackles last year for the Wildcats, but perhaps even more impressively, his 6.7 percent run-stop percentage ranked second among draft-eligible safeties in 2017, per Pro Football Focus.

"I think you look at the projection – and it's never perfect, but I hope that we have done a decent job thus far of projecting guys where they can help themselves the best, and where they can help the team most importantly," Titans coach Mike Vrabel said. "(Cruikshank's tackling) was something that stood out – his frame, his speed, his ability to run – and the willingness to tackle.

"You have to tackle in this league. There's a lot of skill players that get the ball in their hand during the course of a game, so it's important to be able to tackle."

Second, Cruikshank's size and athleticism should allow him to cover tight ends and running backs, two positions that are becoming more and more challenging for defenses around the league.

His athleticism was revealed at this year's NFL Combine, when Cruikshank ran a 4.41 40-yard dash (better than Florida State's first-round safety, Derwin James); recorded a 38.5-inch vertical jump (better than Stanford safety Justin Reid and Alabama safety Ronnie Harrison, both taken in the third round); and tied for first among safety prospects with 25 bench-press reps.

But as impressive as Cruikshank's measurables are, his mind will be put to the test at least as much as his body in the months to come.

He's already discovered that playing safety requires him to know much more about the entire defense than does cornerback, which is often more of an isolated position.

"It's a lot of adjustments," Cruikshank said. "There's a lot of motions that can change the whole coverage and things like that. So you have to know everything in the back end.

"You have to communicate with the linebackers, you've got to communicate with the nickel (defensive back). There's a lot of stuff you've gotta' do. At the end of the day, the safety calls a lot of shots on the back end."

The good news for Cruikshank is he's surrounded by an impressive array of defensive backs, like All-Pro Kevin Byard, veteran safeties Johnathan Cyprien and Kendrick Lewis, and veteran cornerback Logan Ryan.

"He's going through the same things I think every rookie defensive back goes through," Byard said of Cruikshank. "Your head is spinning a little bit, because he's a rookie and you want to come out here and make plays. But, I've liked the progression of him. He's a big, physical guy. He can play every position in the defensive back room."

There's also the ever-energetic presence of new defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs, who hasn't been shy about delivering on-field pointers to Cruikshank and his teammates.

"Coach Coombs just wants the best," Cruikshank said. "He wants you to execute and wants you to know your responsibility. So he's going to be on you, telling you, `This is the big leagues.'"

Speaking of the big leagues, one of the biggest differences between college and the NFL is the amount of hours players can devote to their craft, since they're no longer burdened by taking classes.

Expect Cruikshank to make the most of all that extra time. This rookie has double the usual set of challenges.

-- Reach John Glennon at glennonsports@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @glennonsports.