Titans select Meachem in MVN mock draft

This article is cross-posted on MVN’s NFL Draft University.
With the 19th pick in the MVN football writers’ mock draft, the Tennessee Titans select Tennessee receiver Robert Meachem.
The Titans need a defensive end more than anything else, in my opinion. However, with the best DEs now off the board in MVN’s mock draft, the focus now moves to receiver, another position with a dire need. Make no mistake about it, the Titans will be drafting to fill positions of need on the first day of this year’s draft.
Further research has made Robert Meachem of Tennessee the pick. LSU’s Dwayne Bowe, Sidney Rice of South Carolina and USC’s Dwayne Jarrett were also considered, as was the opportunity to select the first cornerback in the mock.
It was very tempting to take one of the corners, but the Titans have two adequate, though not that good, corners already, while the cupboard is almost bare at receiver. Drew Bennett and Bobby Wade, the top two receivers last year, have both left in free agency. Vince Young needs some weapons around him and Meachem may be the best man for that.
What I was looking for in a receiver was the one who provided the best deep threat and the ability to stretch a defense and commit a safety, keeping them honest. Brandon Jones is a good possession receiver on one side, but the Titans don’t really need another possession guy playing opposite him.
Meachem’s been credited with a 4.36 40-yard time, which is certainly fast enough to stretch the field and be the deep threat the Titans need. On the other hand, Bowe, Jarrett, and even Rice (to my surprise) are all 4.50+ guys.
Another thing which impressed me about Meachem was his good hands, as evidenced by catching 30 passes in 30 seconds in a skills challenge at the combine.

• Here’s what Dan Wernery of MVN’s NFL Draft University had to say about Meachem in his positional rankings of receivers:
  

  When David Cutcliffe gave Erik Ainge new life at QB he gave Robert Meachem new life at WR as well. Meachem is a phenomenal athlete who can run all of the routes and make the tough catches. At Tennessee he was constantly double teamed and still managed to put up remarkable numbers.