Breaking down the Titans’ (reported) pre-draft visits

Before the Tennessee Titans spend a high pick on a player, chances are very good they brought him to St. Thomas Sports Park on a private visit. As I noted last year, general manager Ruston Webster has previously declared the importance of visits (and workouts) in learning about a prospective high pick before using a draft pick on him.

When I did a version of this post in 2012, first-, second-, and third-round picks Kendall Wright, Zach Brown, and Mike Martin were on the list. In 2013, first-round pick Chance Warmack, second-rounder Justin Hunter, fourth-rounder Brian Schwenke, and sixth-round pick Khalid Wooten were on the list. Last year, both first-round pick Taylor Lewan and second-round pick Bishop Sankey visited, but the Titans managed to keep those visits quiet. Even so, the list still included a pair of draftees in Zach Mettenberger and Avery Williamson.

I’m further streamlining this post from last year, as I break down the 21 players reported to have visited St. Thomas Sports Park. The list includes all of the likely options for the #2 pick, some potential options for the #33 pick, and a smattering of players who will be drafted after that spot. Thanks to Titans Report for the assistance in putting together that list.

The first important caveat is, per Paul Kuharsky, the Titans used all 30 of their permitted private visits. They were 9 non-local players who visited whose names will not be mentioned in this post and whom I would consider prime potential Titans targets.

The second important caveat is none of the players on the list of reported visitors played for the Titans on the North squad at the Senior Bowl. Either the Titans are not that interested in any of the players they coached, a prospect I find exceedingly unlikely, or while coaching they learned enough about players like T.J. Clemmings, Rob Havenstein, Hau’oli Kikaha, Nate Orchard, Devin Smith, Donovan Smith, or any number of others from that team they did not need a separate private visit to be comfortable enough to select them. There are too many of those players for me to break them down individually.

The third caveat is I will not be breaking down any of the Titans’ private workouts. That means players like Mettenberger who would have been included in past versions of this post will not be included in here. I will also not be breaking down any of the local visitors, players who played at schools like Tennessee State and Vanderbilt in the Nashville metro area or whose parents live in the metro area. I’m doing this solely for my own benefit and to manage my workload better. So there.

As I have done in the past, I have attempted to separate this list into relative draft tiers. These draft tiers should be considered very rough estimates only and should not be relied on, as a perusal of past estimates has shown (see, e.g., Marcus Smith as a second to third round pick when he went 26th).

Potential Top Ten Picks

• Vic Beasley, EDGE, Clemson-The best edge rusher in the draft, with speed and the ability to turn the corner. A pure weakside edge rusher, who may not be a good enough run defender to play regularly on base downs or in base package situations. Not a player I see likely at #2, but Jacksonville may have interest in him at #3.
• Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama-The most pro-ready receiver in the draft with outstanding production at college’s most dominant program. Not a freak athlete in the same manner as A.J. Green and Julio Jones, though I love the comparison of him to Tim Brown.
• Dante Fowler, EDGE, Florida-Another edge rusher, who spent time on the edge and lined up all over the place at Florida. Not the most purely talented edge rusher, but maybe the best all-around player for the weakside spot where the Titans may be most interested in a player. Greg Cosell likes him more than I do and would take him at #2, even over Leonard Williams.
• Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon-One of the two quarterbacks in the first tier in a draft where I wouldn’t take any other quarterback before the third day. Highly productive quarterback who will undergo a potentially major scheme transition from Oregon’s spread to the NFL dropback passing game. I would take him at #2 if the Bucs do indeed take Jameis Winston with the first overall pick. If you haven’t, you really should read Eric Stoner’s piece.
• Kevin White, WR, West Virginia-The type of receiver who looks more like a potential top five pick. Impressive development in his game his second season at West Virginia, right up there with Cooper as college football’s best receiver in 2014. If you don’t like him, you cite one year of production and the lack of great NFL production from receivers who came out as seniors (White went to juco out of high school). My favorite comparison is Kenny Britt coming out of Rutgers, though minus the off-the-field issues as far as I am aware. A candidate to go #2, could go #4 to Oakland, #7 to Chicago, and his floor may be #11 to Minnesota.
• Leonard Williams, DL, USC-The best defensive player in the draft, based on the general consensus. A powerful run defender with the ability to control two gaps if the Titans are transitioning to a Dick LeBeau-style defense. If you don’t like him, you doubt he’ll be an impact pass defender (I’m in this camp). Even the people who like him see he has an occasional tendency to play too high and give up his chest. Not always quick off the snap, though that might be a function of defensive role. Very likely to be a top five pick, though if you don’t love him you cite the weakness of the class as the primary reason for that.
• Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State-The most likely #1 pick. Off the field questions relating to his immaturity. On-field questions relating to his decision-making. I buy into the Eli Manning comparison. If you think that’s not exciting because Eli has rarely been a top-five quarterback (maybe 2011, but when else?), Eli’s been a better quarterback than what the Titans trotted out there for, oh, at least nine of the past ten seasons?

Mid First-Third Round Picks

• Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State-Impressive athlete, with a 4.38 40 and short area quickness. Not great size, under 5’11”, didn’t have many interceptions, and not necessarily a real physical player. I thought I’d see more. Will go Day 2 at some point barring something unknown.
• Philip Dorsett, WR, Miami-FL-Explosive downfield receiver with return ability. Undersized-measured in at sub-5’10”. Compares perhaps to Brandin Cooks last year, whom the Saints took in the first round, but didn’t test for or show in what I watched the same lateral movement. May go in late first, including possibly to the Saints at #31, I would take him in the middle of the second round at earliest.
• Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri-Interesting developmental wide receiver prospect with great size and long speed but who only ran a couple routes in college and maybe not particularly well. Potentially radioactive off the field issues, like drug use and allegedly shoving a woman down a flight of stairs. Sat out 2014 as a transfer at Oklahoma. Could go as early as the middle of the first round, could go undrafted if the off the field is really that bad.
• Randy Gregory, EDGE, Nebraska-Another weakside rusher. Once thought of as a potential top ten pick, but had a positive test for marijuana at the combine despite reportedly not smoking since late December, which would require him to have smoked a really impressive amount of marijuana before he gave it up. Something weird is going on with his draft stock. Can a 6’6″ guy who reportedly was under 220 pounds during the season play in base defense? Massively uncertain draft slot right now, from maybe 13 to the Saints to Day 2 somewhere.
• Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia-When on the field, a powerful running back with speed in the style of Adrian Peterson. May be more advanced in the passing game, including as a pass blocker and receiver, than Peterson was coming out of Oklahoma. Coming off an ACL injury and with a history of other injuries. Probably a top ten pick with no injury history, will probably go in the first round at some point anyway.
• Danielle Hunter, EDGE, LSU-For those of you who thought former Bayou Bengal Barkevious Mingo (2013, #6 overall to Ray Horton’s Browns) was entirely too finished of a project. Impressive measurables and a solid run defender, but he has absolutely no idea how to rush the passer. Cosell would describe him as not a natural pass rusher. Hand use seems undeveloped, even for a college player. Can he rush from a stand-up position, or is he just a 4-3 defensive end? Bill Polian would’ve drafted him late in the first round ten years ago. Now he’ll probably go on Day 2 somewhere.
• DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville-Reminded me of Allen Robinson, a tall (6’3″) player with good movement who went late second round to the Jaguars and had an impressive rookie season. Like Robinson, I wasn’t always sure he played to his size-less aggressive attacking the ball than I would have liked. Possibly a target for the Vikings at #11 for a reunion with college quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, the Dolphins at #14 are reportedly interested as well. I would consider him in the bottom of the first round.
• Brett Perriman, WR, Central Florida-Oh boy. Apparently ran a 4.25 40 at his pro day after not working out at the combine due to injury. I didn’t see him play nearly that fast. Good size at 6’2/212. I wasn’t sure he tracked the ball well and didn’t attack it nearly as aggressively as I wanted him to, instead letting the ball come to him-see his hail mary grab to win the East Carolina game, which he let come to him after the DBs missed it. I liked Davante Adams, who went in the late second round to the Packers last year, more, though Perriman’s reported 40 makes him much faster. Maybe mid-first round to mid-second round.
• Shane Ray, EDGE, Missouri-If you like him, you like his first-step quickness, ability to rush successfully from the inside, and college productivity. If you don’t like him, you see his horrible 3-cone time, foot injury that may have caused that and may be an issue going forward, his lack of size and struggles in run defense (Bill Polian’s Robert Mathis comparison fails for this reason for me), and think he might be just another snap-jumper who will struggle to be productive in the NFL. Recent arrest for marijuana will hurt his draft stock. Still possibly may go as early as #8 to Atlanta, but I’m listing him here because I see him most likely to go Day 2 and it wouldn’t shock me if he’s there at 100.
• Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State-Good size and length (6’2 3/8/217), if you like him you like his ability to win in contested catch situations. If you don’t, you didn’t see him as a sudden athlete, his 4.44 is mostly long speed and he’s not a quick change of direction player, he played 50-50 balls because he couldn’t get away from college corners, and have you seen college corners’ alleged “ball skills” and do you really think he’ll win in those same situations in the NFL nearly as frequently? I would consider him starting in the middle of the second round, like where Alshon Jeffery went to the Bears not that that’s anything close to a great comparison, but may go late in the first if a run on receivers happens and otherwise will go probably in the first half of the second round.

Day 3 or Later

• Bryce Callahan, CB, Rice-Impressive workout with a 43″ vertical jump and a 40 in the 4.4’s. Returned punts, though not with great success. Not likely to be drafted before the fifth round, and possibly undrafted.
• Deontae Greenberry, WR, Houston-Lanky wide receiver with solid speed and had some impressive grabs but a deeply disappointing 2014. Not likely to be drafted before the fifth round, and possibly undrafted.
• Deiontrez Mount, EDGE, Louisville-Very part time player at Louisville who played SLB in a 3-4 and DE in a 4-3. Rotoworld’s Josh Norris likes his ability to convert speed to power. I’m skeptical of players who played 20 snaps a game as seniors in college turning into productive NFL players, but you never know. Fifth round to undrafted, maybe.
• Daryl Williams, OT, Oklahoma-Power right tackle. Definitely not an ideal left tackle given the existence of edge rushers. If you don’t like him, you think he has to play in a phone booth at right guard and then he’s probably only a limited scheme fit. Lance Zierlein, who did the NFL.com draft profiles and whose offensive line evaluations I trust, has him as a fifth-round guard prospect.

If after reading this you’re wondering where are all the potential third-round and later prospects are, well, we’re in the same boat. Maybe the list of players they coached at the Senior Bowl, maybe among the nine unreported visitors, maybe on the list of private workouts, and maybe they decided picks 2 and 33 are so important they flooded the zone even more than they normally do.