SPORTS

Titans introduce first-round picks Corey Davis, Adoree' Jackson

Jason Wolf

USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

Titans introduce first-round draft picks, Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis and Southern Cal cornerback Adoree' Jackson, in the auditorium at Saint Thomas Sports Park. With Titans general manager Jon Robinson, left, and coach Mike Mularkey on Friday April 28, 2017.

An 8-year-old Adoree’ Jackson raced in front of an oncoming train, bounding across the tracks to make it home in time and avoid getting in trouble.

His speed and judgment have since improved. … Right?

“That was a smart decision then and I think I still make those smart decisions now,” Jackson said Friday afternoon during a press conference to introduce the Titans’ first-round draft picks.

Tennessee addressed its biggest needs and all three phases of the game in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night, selecting Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis with the fifth overall pick and Southern Cal cornerback and return specialist Jackson at 18th. The additions give Marcus Mariota a true No. 1 wide receiver, the defense a starting cornerback opposite free agent signee Logan Ryan, and special teams a dynamic playmaker in the open field.

“Once we got to know them — I think you can probably tell in 10 minutes here — they’re both very personable guys,” Titans general manager Jon Robinson said. “They’re easy to talk to, the team-first mentality was easy to pick up in both of them, and they were both confident, competitive football players, with obviously a skillset that allowed both the perform at a high level.

“So we didn’t find many negatives in either one of these guys, and we thought that both of these guys would have an impact on our football team.”

The 6-foot-3, 209-pound Davis is the all-time leading receiver in FBS history with 5,285 yards. He caught a career-high 97 passes for 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns last season, and joins Randy Moss as the only receivers from the MAC taken in the first round.

The 5-10, 185-pound Jackson was named Pac-12 defensive player of the year last season and won the Jim Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in college football. He also tied the NCAA record for most career touchdown returns, scoring on four kickoffs, four punts and an interception.

“Obviously it’s going to have an impact for us,” Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. “Adding speed, adding guys that can score with it in all three phases, actually, is a plus for us.”

Davis had just one scholarship offer coming out of high school.

“That’s all in the past,” Davis said. “But that definitely put something in me, put a chip on my shoulder, just to go out and prove a lot of people wrong. Because a lot of teams, a lot of coaches didn’t believe in me. So I had a lot to prove. Even more so now, I’ve got a lot to prove. I’ve got to prove these guys right and just do whatever they need me to do.”

Questions about Jackson revolve around his lack of ideal size. But he credited competition with his big brother and sister — 7 and 14 years older, respectively — for his drive and ability to succeed against larger opponents, to say nothing about dodging trains.

“And I was always acrobatic,” Jackson said, “so I would always try to dunk the ball when I was a little kid on a Fisher-Price goal, or put the goal up high enough when I was outside and try to dunk the ball. I just think those are the things I translated into being able to highpoint the ball.”

Davis and Jackson first met and the combine — though they were already following each other on social media — and posed for photos together Thursday night at the draft in Philadelphia after learning they were teammates

They traveled to Nashville together Friday morning. They shared an introductory press conference where they held aloft twin number “1” jerseys. And soon enough, they’ll share a practice field.

“For me to go against him every day in practice is going to help me out,” Jackson said about Davis. “And you know like the saying, ‘iron sharpens iron,’ so it’s just going to be great for us to get to battle against each other. That’s a great competitor, a great receiver. Not only size, he has speed, has quickness and great hands. So when you have that combination, it makes everything else around you easy.”

COREY DAVIS

Position: Wide receiver

College: Western Michigan

Pick: First round, fifth overall

Height, weight: 6-3, 209

Jersey number: 84

Charitable cause: Foster care because pee wee football coach became his legal guardian in high school

Siblings: Four brothers, two sisters

Military: His brother, Tomais, is in the Army (heavy artillery)

On his “bucket list”: Travel to Dubai

Quotable: “One of the big things that I wanted to work on (last season) was just that 50/50 ball, that contested ball, because I know that’s going to be huge in this league. That’s something that I definitely worked on and I will continue to work on.”

Hobbies: Playing golf and watching movies. “I’m a pretty boring guy.”

ADOREE’ JACKSON

Position: Cornerback

College: Southern Cal

Pick: First round, 18th overall

Height, weight: 5-10, 186

Jersey number: 25, which belonged to former USC and Titans running back LenDale White

Quotable: “I texted him (White) as soon as I figured out what number I was getting and he was just congratulating me, said how proud he was of me, and he was like, ‘You know, I wore that number, so you’ve got to turn up.’ I text him back, I said, ‘All right. I got you.’"

Historical person he’d like to meet: “The guy who invented Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. A genius. That’s my favorite candy. I eat that like it ain’t nothing.”

– From press conference and Titans’ draftee questionnaires

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Reach Jason Wolf atjwolf@tennessean.comand follow him on Twitter at@JasonWolfand on Instagram and Snapchat atTitansBeat.

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Saturday: Fourth through seventh rounds, 11 a.m.