Now that we’ve determined the best Titans’ draft picks in rounds two through seven, it’s time to turn our attention to Round One. Five first-rounders stand out and are included in the new poll we have up on our front page. The five are:
DE Jevon Kearse — The missing piece instrumental in the Titans’ march to the Super Bowl
LB Keith Bulluck — Led the Titans in tackles for six seasons
DT Albert Haynesworth — Was the best DT in the league for two years
QB Vince Young — Twice turned losing seasons around, 26-13 as a starter
RB Chris Johnson — Transformed a rather ordinary offense into an explosive one
If you wish to vote for someone else, please leave a comment and I will add that player to the poll. Following is the complete list of first-round picks. As before, we’re only considering players drafted since the franchise’s move to Tennessee. Stats include only those compiled as a Titan/Oiler.
1997, DE Kenny Holmes
4 years, 58 games, 36 starts
122 tackles, 21.5 sacks, 7 FF, 1 FR, 2 INTs
1998, WR Kevin Dyson
5 years, 58 games, 54 starts
176 receptions, 2,310 yards, 18 TDs
1999, DE Jevon Kearse
7 years, 88 games, 83 starts
228 tackles, 52 sacks, 22 FF, 2 FR, 1 TD, 1 INT
DROY, 3 Pro Bowls, 1 first-team All-Pro selection
2000, LB Keith Bulluck
10 years, 157 games, 128 starts
1,056 tackles, 18 sacks, 19 INTs, 1 TD, 15 FF, 12 FR, 4 TDs
1 Pro Bowl, 1 first-team All-Pro selection
2002, DT Albert Haynesworth
7 years, 90 games, 74 starts
271 tackles, 24 sacks, 6 FF, 4 FR
2 Pro Bowls, 2 first-team All-Pro selections
2003, CB Andre Woolfolk
4 years, 39 games, 11 starts
119 tackles, 18 PD, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR
2005, CB Pacman Jones
2 years, 30 games, 28 starts
116 tackles, 4 INT, 1 TD, 63 PR, 712 yards, 4 TD, 63 KR, 1,648 yards
2006, QB Vince Young
4 years, 45 games, 39 starts (26-13)
596 completions / 1,034 attempts (57.6%), 6,843 yards, 32 TD, 72.3 rating, 239 rushes, 1,255 yards, 12 TDs
OROY, 1 Pro Bowl
2007, FS Michael Griffin
3 years, 48 games, 41 starts
194 tackles, 25 PD, 11 INTs, 1 INT, 1 sack, 4 FF, 4 FR
2008, RB Chris Johnson
2 years, 31 games, 30 starts
609 rushes, 3,234 yards, 23 TDs, 93 receptions, 763 yards, 3 TDs
2 Pro Bowls, 1 first-team All-Pro selection
2009, WR Kenny Britt
1 year, 16 games, 6 starts
42 receptions, 701 yards, 3 TDs
2010, DE Derrick Morgan
Choosing the best of these first-round picks won’t be easy. How do you define best? A player who was dominating for one or two seasons, such as Albert or the Freak? Or Keith Bulluck, who was never dominant but was very good for a long time? Or VY or CJ, who have already been very good and still have the upside to be even better?
It’s a tough call, but my vote goes to Bulluck.
Recapping the previous selections in this series, these are the players we selected as the best Titans’ draft picks in rounds two through seven:
Round Two, Michael Roos, 2005
Round Three, Zach Piller, 1999
Round Four, Derrick Mason, 1997
Round Five, Benji Olson, 1998
Round Six, Bo Scaife, 2005
Round Seven, Cortland Finnegan, 2006
Which of the Titans’ first-round picks will join that group? I’m looking forward to reading what you think.
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