As the case with the rest of the league’s teams, the last 48 hours have been an extremely eventful (and exhausting) timeframe for the Tennessee Titans.
The end result of Mike Reinfeldt and his staff’s hard work: the addition of 11 new players to the Tennessee Titan football family.
Now that the dust has settled and the smoke has cleared on a whirlwind of a weekend, it’s time for me to grab my professor hat and dish out a grade regarding the Titans’ decision-making over the last couple of days.
First Round- Kenny Britt WR Rutgers
For those of you desiring the Titans to select a WR in the first round for the first time since 1998, your wishes have finally come true.
Britt is a physical specimen who possesses the qualities usually found in an ideal Titan WR: He’s strong, blocks well and has good size. Britt has the potential to develop into a nice red zone threat for the Titans next year and beyond.
It remains to be seen whether or not Britt can make an impact in his first season. However, on a team with a combination of inexperienced and unproductive young players behind starting wideouts Justin Gage and Nate Washington, Britt should have a great opportunity to start making plays on a consistent basis right away.
Second Round- Sen’Derrick Marks DT Auburn
Marks is an athletic guy who should develop into a solid DT once Jim Washburn whips him into NFL form.
Drafting Marks could spell trouble for reserve DT Kevin Vickerson, who may be facing an uphill climb to make next year’s roster.
Third Round- Jared Cook TE South Carolina
Bo Scaife: considered yourself warned.
Cook’s arrival should be a message heard loud and clear by Bo Scaife: whether you sign your franchise-tender or not, this ship is going to keep sailing.
I love Jared’s athleticism and in a few years, he has the potential to become as good as anyone in this Titan draft class.
Third Round- Ryan Mouton CB Hawaii
Despite being a bit undersized, Mouton is a speedy guy with playmaking capabilities.
Best-case scenario: he’s a poor man’s version of Alphonso Smith.
Worst-case scenario: the Titans will regret passing on Vandy’s D.J. Moore to choose Mouton.
Should be interesting to see how this one plays out.
Fourth Round- Gerald McGrath LB Southern Miss
McGrath should join Stanford Keglar as Keith Bulluck’s potential heir-apparents.
The Titans are getting the best of both worlds with McGrath: he has the smarts of a middle linebacker and the size/speed to also play on the outside.
Fourth Round- Troy Kropog OT Tulane
Troy is a big guy who should compete with Mike Otto for Daniel Loper’s vacated backup tackle spot. Not an exciting pick, but considering the need for depth on the offensive line, I totally understand why Troy was selected here.
Fifth Round- Javon Ringer RB Michigan State
Ringer is another best of both worlds pick for the Titans: he’ll serve as a short-term replacement for Mr. Invisible, Chris Henry and for the long-term, he could eventually emerge as the team’s second halfback if LenDale White vacates the premises.
I wouldn’t be shocked at all if Ringer earns some carries as early as next season.
Sixth Round- Jason McCourty CB Rutgers
I actually like this pick better than the Mouton one in the third round.
McCourty has a nice size-speed combination and could end up being a sixth-round steal for the Titans.
Sixth Round- Dominique Edison WR Stephen F. Austin
Speaking of size and speed, those are also two attributes that belong to this small-school target.
He’s probably a long-shot to make the roster but considering that he’s going to be competing with guys such as Chris Davis and Paul Williams, who knows, maybe Edison will have a chance to supplant one of the aforementioned underachievers.
Seventh Round- Ryan Durand G Syracuse
Nothing wrong with getting some additional guard depth at this point in the draft.
Seventh Round- DB Nick Schommer North Dakota State
This guy has special teams written all over him. I expect a few bone-jarring hits and nasty blocks from this warrior in training camp and the preseason.
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Ok..the moment we’ve all been waiting for:It’s time to dish out a grade for the Titans’ efforts this weekend.
As a whole, I liked what Tennessee did over the last two days. They finally chose quality over quantity by selecting a WR in the first round. They also added some DT help as well as some depth at CB, OLB and the offensive line.
I wasn’t that enamored with the team’s decision to trade a 2010 second-rounder to secure another third-rounder, but Cook has the potential to become Scaife’s eventual replacement. Therefore, I can live with the team’s decision to sacrifice one of next year’s picks.
Draft Grade: B
Your turn, Titan fans: How would you grade the team’s draft weekend efforts?
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