Delanie Walker: Titans rookie Jonnu Smith 'will be better than me'

Jason Wolf | The Tennessean

Show Caption Hide Caption Jonnu Smith explains how he's similar to Delanie Walker Titans rookie tight end Jonnu Smith says he has a similar skill-set to Delanie Walker, "but I know who I am."

Jonnu Smith could be the greatest tight end in Titans history, says one of the greatest tight ends in Titans history.

“One day he will be better than me,” said Delanie Walker, who owns the franchise single-season records for most catches and receiving yards by a tight end. “And that’s his ultimate goal. And if he didn’t feel that way, I wouldn’t want him here.”

The Titans selected Smith with the 100th overall pick in the third round of April’s draft, making him the sixth tight end off the board, and the former Florida International star has since done nothing but impress.

The 6-foot-3, 248-pound rookie spent the offseason quietly learning from coaches and veterans. And with Anthony Fasano leaving in free agency, Smith should have an immediate opportunity to contribute in a Titans offense that heavily incorporates two-tight end sets.

“He’s made less mistakes. He’s playing faster,” Titans coach Mike Mularkey said during offseason workouts. “This young man wants to do (well). It’s really fun to coach him because everything’s important. He looks you dead in the eye; he takes every word in; and he wants to please you. He wants to do right for his teammates. So he’s a fun guy to coach.”

Smith’s draft profile at NFL.com compares him closest to Walker, who’s entering his 12th year in the league, his fifth with the Titans, and reached his second consecutive Pro Bowl last season. Smith also is competing with fellow tight ends Phillip Supernaw, Jace Amaro, Jerome Cunningham and Tim Semisch.

“Coming in here, Delanie is just one of the guys that I’m learning a lot from,” Smith said. “It’s a lot of other vets in the tight end room that I’m learning from. He’s a Pro Bowler, and we’ve kind of got a similar skill-set, so I kind of pick up a lot of things from him.

“It’s just very fortunate for me to be in the same room with him and just learn things from him. … But I know who I am. He’s Delanie Walker. I’m Jonnu Smith. And everybody’s got their own identity, and I’m going to take on my identity. Not to say that I’m not going to learn from guys who are doing great at their job."

Smith is perhaps best known nationally for being doused with boiling water during an argument with his pregnant girlfriend last year. The incident resulted in severe burns to his head, neck, back, shoulder and an arm, and criminal charges for the woman.

Although initial reports indicated his college career was over, Smith missed just one game and returned to play in the final two contests of the season. He was named second-team All-Conference USA after recording 42 catches for 506 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games.

“I would just say that I respect the heck out of him,” Titans general manager Jon Robinson said after drafting Smith, calling him a “phenomenal young man.”

Mularkey has said Smith is a better blocker than many scouts and analysts believe, and that he’ll provide quarterback Marcus Mariota with another big target.

As a junior, Smith had 36 catches for 397 yards and four scores in eight games, before a sprained left knee sidelined him for the rest of the season.

As a sophomore, Smith led all tight ends nationally with 61 catches for 710 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games, displaying a dominance the Titans – and Walker – believe can translate to the NFL.

“I think he’s a great guy,” Walker said. “I think he sits back, he don’t talk much, he learns. He’s respectful. If I ask him to do something, he does it.

“I think he’s going to go a long way and be a star in this league.”

Reach Jason Wolf at jwolf@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @JasonWolf and on Instagram and Snapchat at TitansBeat.