Armchair Quarterback: Delving into the draft
Will the Titans use the draft to improve their 5-11 squad in a year which many forecasters are predicting could be another train wreck for the Music City boys?
It’s no secret the Titans, at least earlier in the planning stages, had targeted shutdown West Virginia cornerback Adam Jones (Pac Man) as their top draw when they pick early in the first round.
The pick makes sense given the fact they have lost both Rolle and Dyson in the off-season, meaning they must cement their secondary which was suspect even with the departed defunct all-pros.
Of course, on the subject of Rolles, a comparable corner named Antrel Rolle, senior out of the University of Miami, has impressed scouts in the combines and could overtake Jones as the top corner of this year’s draft. If the Titans were to take Rolle over Jones then they could save printing costs and simply give him Samari’s old jersey.
As to whether the picks are there when the Titans choose at the sixth position is yet to be seen, although there are strong indications at least one of those top corners will remain, if not both.
Of course, things get weird on draft days sometimes with folks trading up or down to suit their needs.
The Titans, in my view, have never been geniuses when it comes to drafting although they have gotten lucky with some sleepers like Drew Bennett. This year I think they have no option but to do good in the draft as salary cap issues will all but eliminate aggressive trading to get players through trading off draft picks.
What we do know about the draft is we will have a couple of quarterbacks and running backs off the board by the time the Titans pick.
Unless things change between now and then, the Niners will use their first pick to take Aaron Rogers from the University of California. This was a pick originally destined to be Heisman Trophy winner Matt Lineart, until he shocked the world by staying in school.
This was probably one of the first instances I can remember where a football blue chipper is probably making a mistake by staying one more year. Even Peyton Manning benefited from the seasoning of his senior year. There is no real upside for Lineart aside from fraternity parties.
Of course, Alex Smith, quarterback out of Utah, is seeing his stock climb so it might not be insane to see him go to the Bay area. Regardless, he will likely go off the board near the top of the order with a team like the Cards.
We also know Carnell (Cadillac) Williams will be a Dolphin while his Auburn buddy Ronnie Brown will also find a home in the top ten, perhaps in Arizona if they decide to replace Emmitt instead of drafting a quarterback.
It’s actually a feast year for running backs after several dry years in the draft as you also have Cedric Benson out of Texas who is just as good, if not better than the Auburn guys.
Plus, we have who is my favorite pick of the draft, and would have also been last year, that being Mike Williams of USC.
If you will recall he had to sit out this year due to the draft entry controversy last year. However, during workouts, experts say he still has the speed and hands which made him a regular highlight reel target back in his college days.
However, the Titans won’t have the luxury of even giving a passing glance at this great field of skill position players. Instead, this draft must be all about defense.
It means nothing if you put up 35 and still lose by a couple of touchdowns, something they did last year.