Cortland Finnegan was the best seventh-round draft pick the Titans ever made. In our poll, you judged Bo Scaife to be the best player the team nabbed in Round Six. Today we look at players drafted in the fifth round. As we did in looking at the sixth round, we’ll limit ourselves to drafts since the franchise moved to Tennessee.
Only two fifth-round picks developed into starters, guards Benji Olson and Jacob Bell. It’s pretty easy to conclude Olson was the best player the Titans ever selected in the fifth round. What I’ll always remember him for are his battles with the Jaguars’ Marcus Stroud and the Ratbirds’ Sam Adams and Kelly Gregg.
Bell replaced Zach Piller, for two seasons as an injury replacement, then permanently, before moving on to the Rams in free agency. Bell wore the two-tone blue for four seasons.
Aric Morris bridged, not particularly well, the one-year gap between Blaine Bishop and Tank Williams. Eddie Berlin is best known for fumbling away a game to the Colts. Jake Schifino set a record for games missed with pulled hamstrings. Donnie Nickey has been a good special teams player unable to contribute on defense. Mookie Johnson has become a starter for the Colts.
Sadly, Damien Nash and Jesse Mahelona have passed away.
1997 DB George McCullough
1998 G Benji Olson – 10 years, 152 games, 140 starts
1999 QB Kevin Daft
2000 S Aric Morris – started 10 games in 2001
2000 LB Frank Chamberlin
2001 WR Eddie Berlin
2002 WR Jake Schifino
2003 S Donnie Nickey
2004 G Jacob Bell – 4 years, 55 games, 46 starts with Titans
2004 LB Robert Reynolds
2005 RB Damien Nash
2005 T Daniel Loper
2006 LB Terna Nande
2006 DT Jesse Mahelona
2007 DT Antonio Johnson
2009 RB Javon Ringer
Ringer will backup Chris Johnson this year after seeing limited action as a rookie.
This year’s fifth-round selection, Robert Johnson, should provide solid depth behind Michael Griffin. If Griffin plays this year like he did last year, Johnson could be an upgrade.
What are your thoughts on the Titans’ fifth-round draft picks?
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