Numbers show Titans fairly successful in rooting out talent
Their roster features 32 of their own selections, with 30 chosen since 1997. Another 13 currently are on other NFL rosters, with two more who haven’t signed with a new team yet.
“That’s the object,” Reese said.
“You want to pick players to come in the NFL and play. Ideally, we’d like to keep them all. We all know that’s a fairy tale that can’t happen and won’t happen. And you’d like to have the cap room and be able to sign some of these guys and keep some of the ones you want.”
Reese and the Titans face a tough decision on draft day April 23.
They hold their highest draft pick — No. 6 overall — since 1995 when they had the third pick and selected Steve McNair. The quarterback has started the past eight seasons, led the Titans to the 2000 Super Bowl and two AFC championship games.
Reese says he’s not worried about pressure this year.
“When you’re drafting that high, you expect to get a good player,” he said. “We know we’re going to get a good player.”
McNair easily is their best selection of the past decade, and he’s one of five first-round draft picks still with the Titans. Left tackle Brad Hopkins, the last offensive lineman taken by this team in the first round, has been a starter for 11 of his 12 seasons, and linebacker Keith Bulluck, the 30th pick overall in 2000, was an All Pro in 2003.
Other hits include 1996 when the then-Houston Oilers selected Eddie George. The Heisman Trophy winner became the franchise’s all-time leading rusher and never missed a start in eight seasons before leaving last July after refusing a pay cut.
In 1999, the Titans had perhaps their strongest draft when they chose Jevon Kearse in the middle of the first round and he became a three-time Pro Bowler and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in his first season. Defensive tackle John Thornton was the second pick, and he now is starting in Cincinnati, while Zach Piller has been their starting left guard since 2001.
Only time can help truly judge a draft, and the Titans have had their share of misses in recent years.
After reeling in Kearse, Thornton and Piller, the Titans’ final five picks in 1999 produced only one NFL player — Donald Mitchell, who’s no longer in the league.
They surprised tight end Shad Meier in 2001 by taking him in the third round when he had hoped just to be picked up as a free agent. He caught 42 passes for 334 yards in four seasons and recently signed with New Orleans.
Unless the Titans sign free agent cornerback Andre Dyson, they won’t have a single player left on the roster from their 2001 draft.
Kevin Carter, picked up by trading the top pick, was cut in February and signed with Miami. They traded receiver Justin McCareins to the New York Jets last year. Receiver Eddie Berlin wasn’t offered a new deal after last season, and he is with Chicago. Linebacker Keith Adams, let go after the 2001 training camp, is with Philadelphia.
Tennessee still is waiting to see if cornerback Andre Woolfolk (2003 first-rounder) can stay healthy enough to play a whole season or if defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (14th overall in 2004) has matured enough to lead the defense.
Their best class — by sheer numbers — was 2004. The Titans had 13 draft picks, and 12 made the roster because Tennessee just didn’t have enough money to sign veteran free agents.