NASHVILLE – The Titans selected Georgia tackle Isaiah Wilson with the 29th overall pick in the first round of Thursday night's NFL Draft.
Here's a look at what some of the draft analysts are saying about the pick:
David Pollack, ESPN: "He's huge. And you're talking about a kid coming out of high school that was almost 400 pounds coming to Georgia. He actually redshirted even though you knew how much talent he had. But he's a mauler. He's enormous. He's a people-mover off the ball. He plays with great excitement – I like his energy and passion for the game. But that is a massive human being that moves really well, and you think about the physicality of the Titans with Derrick Henry running the football. You want big suckers like that in front of him, moving, and he is that."
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: "I think this is a good pick. This is a massive right tackle on a team that needs a massive right tackle. This kid is a mauler in the run game and he's perfect for what the Titans want to do."
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: "He's 6-6 ½, 350 and he's huge. … As a run blocker he can be dominant driving defenders off the ball when he has the proper leverage. Getting to the second level, results are a little mixed at times. In pass protection he has decent feet, better footwork at times is needed. Hand placement, pad level, all those things are coming. I thought he needed another year at Georgia – go back and work on some things technique-wise and maybe be a top 15 pick next year. … He's a little bit of a developmental guy, but he has some upside."
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network: "He is going to be the first one off the bus, I promise you that. He looks like he is a wrestler – he is enormous. And we saw him move really well at the combine. With what you see in the run game, he can displace people at the line of scrimmage – Georgia loved to run the football. But in pass protection I thought he really struggled to sink his weight and play low – he got a little bit too high. So there's some work to go with him, he needs some development. But you're going to be able to pound the ball with Derrick Henry running behind him."
Andy Benoit, Sports Illustrated: "It's straightforward: When you're a run-heavy team and you just lost your quality right tackle in free agency, it's imperative you find a new quality right tackle. Quality offensive tackles require an early-round pick. Especially when that tackle weighs 350 and is athletic. What'll be interesting is to see if Wilson, at his size, can play at the NFL level with the needed quickness and mobility for Tennessee's wide-zone blocking scheme. He wouldn't be here if the Titans had many doubts that he could."
Chad Reuter, NFL.com: "I did not have Wilson as a value in the first round. His size (6-foot-6, 350 pounds) will make him difficult to beat, but he must improve against speed and learn to recover after initial moves much more quickly. I had Joshua Jones and others rated ahead of Wilson -- as did other teams in the league."
Eric Edholm, Yahoo! Sports: "A predictable pick. The Titans are a power run team and needed a RT after losing Jack Conklin in free agency. Wilson's arrow is pointing up, though he wasn't our favorite OT in this class and some scouts secretly wished he'd have stayed in school and developed another year."
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: "The Titans get their right tackle replacement for Jack Conklin as a likely immediate starter opposite Taylor Lewan ahead of Dennis Kelly. Wilson (6-6, 350 pounds) isn't the most nimble pass-protector, but his pure power as a blocker fits with their mentality. Wilson just might have been a better value for them in the second round."
Cam Mellor, SB Nation: "A huge man on the outside, Wilson was a better pass protector than he was run blocker at Georgia during his two years of starting experience. He helped pave the way for some big runs here and there, but was a bit stiff with some move blocks. Perhaps a sign of good things to come for Tennessee is the fact Wilson looked significantly improved from 2018 to 2019 so he may be reaching his proverbial 'ceiling' at the right time."
WalterFootball.com: "This is a rock solid pick by the Titans. It's also not surprising in the slightest. The Titans love to bully teams in the trenches, and that was going to be difficult with Jack Conklin gone. Wilson, who has good athleticism at his massive size, should be able to challenge Dennis Kelly for the starting right tackle spot as a rookie."
Turron Davenport, ESPN: "The Titans added a player who will undoubtedly help their rushing attack. Wilson has already proved that he can excel as a run-blocker, having played in a zone-oriented scheme at Georgia. In his two seasons as a starter, Wilson blocked for some really productive backs such as Sony Michel and D'Andre Swift. At 6 foot 7 and 350 pounds, Wilson moves surprisingly well for such a big man."
Dan Kadar, SB Nation: "Sometimes picks that are even in the back of the first round are obvious. That was the case with Wilson and the Titans. You could see this one coming from a mile away if you thought about it a little bit. Wilson, one of the youngest players in the draft, excels as a run blocker on the right side. That's exactly what Tennessee, a run-first team, needs to replace Jack Conklin. You can quibble about the value of taking Wilson here — the knock is his uneven pass blocking — but you can't argue about his system fit."
C.J. Doon, Baltimore Sun: "This feels like the most forgettable pick of the first round, and that's not a knock against Wilson. He's a bruiser who can help replace right tackle Jack Conklin, and has the size and strength to become an elite player. But even after Wilson received some first-round buzz this week, the Titans are banking more on his upside than his current level of play. He was considered a mid to late Day 2 prospect, so this is definitely a reach for a team that could catch the Ravens and Chiefs with the right moves."
Geoff Schwartz, SB Nation: "Wilson is a giant human and should slide right into the Titans' run-based offense. He is a better run blocker than a pass protector at the moment, and he can be hidden in pass protection for now. Good pick."
Danny Kelly, The Ringer: "Wilson is a mountain of a man at 6-foot-5 and 350 pounds, boasting rare size and natural movement skills. The former three-sport high school athlete (who also competed in lacrosse and wrestling while dabbling as a situational, high-stepping, truck-sticking, highlight-making wildcat quarterback is raw, with just two seasons of experience starting for Georgia, but should be a nice boost to the Titans' smashmouth run game. He plays with an edge in the run game and brings industrial-strength power to the right tackle spot. He's still developing as a pass protector and is a bit heavy-footed at times in that area, but he has the length to compensate (with an 84-plus-inch wingspan). For a team whose identity lies in physicality, Wilson looks the part. It's a bit of a reach this early (he checked in at no. 61 on my Big Board), and the Titans are banking on his upside more than the player he is today, but he should slide in as Jack Conklin's successor on the right side."
The Heavy.com: "Titans find starting caliber right tackle with good upside. Wilson has room to grow, coming out following his redshirt sophomore season. There's a lot of Orlando Brown in Wilson's game. Tennessee could have found better value at CB in this slot."
Joe Tansey, Bleacher Report: "Isaiah Wilson is expected to compete for a starting position, but he is not guaranteed to come in day one and start like the top four offensive linemen. Tennessee missed out on Patrick Queen by one selection and opted to stay away from a defensive lineman. If Wilson develops into the starter opposite Taylor Lewan at tackle, the Titans could be praised for their pick."
The Titans select Georgia offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson in first round (29th overall) of 2020 NFL Draft. (AP Photos)