Titans aren’t adept at drafting playmakers

By Marc Hudgens  |   Tuesday, April 29, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

Tennessee Titans
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Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher recently stated, "It seems like every year you have to remind people, 'Why don't you grade this draft four years from now?' That is how you grade drafts."

So it takes four years for draftees to show up, at least in Nashville. OK, fine. Sounds a little too convenient, but it does make sense. Regardless, let's use this as a guide and grade how the Titans fared four drafts ago to attempt gauging how well the club makes their picks.

The obvious starting point is Tennessee's first-round pick that year (2005), and guess who that was? Adam 'Pacman' Jones, the No. 6 overall choice. Anyone need further explanation?

The Titans then selected offensive tackle Michael Roos in Round 2. Roos is an integral part of the team's solid offensive line right now, so he was a smart choice. The team then grabbed receivers Courtney Roby and Brandon Jones in the third round. Roby is now with the Colts and Jones has yet to show up (only eight scores over the past three years).

The remaining players taken were defensive backs Vincent Fuller and Reynaldo Hill, offensive tackles David Stewart and Daniel Loper, receiver Roydell Williams, running back Damien Nash -- who is no longer with the team -- and tight end Bo Scaife. Of that group, Fuller, Hill, Stewart and Loper have proven themselves as great acquisitions. But Williams and Scaife are two charter members of the ball-catching squad that has trouble holding onto the rock.

If you had to give this class a grade, it's hard to be any more generous than a C-minus. The Jones fiasco alone drops the grade automatically, and the only thing keeping it from a flat-out 'F' are the solid linemen the Titans landed.

Given the way other Titans draft picks have fared over the years, it seems they're not that good at drafting big-time offensive playmakers. During this past weekend's draft, there were quality receivers available, yet Tennessee chose Cal's Lavelle Hawkins, who doesn't deal well with contact and has inconsistent hands.

Perhaps Fisher and company chose Hawkins because he would be a good fit on the team. That's probably truer than they realize; after all, Hawkins and his penchant for drops would fit in nicely with the existing corps of receivers.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He...
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