First off, let me just go ahead and say that “grading” draft classes before they even take the field is a little ridiculous. But with that said, I’ll give my opinion on the players themselves and the draft class as a whole.
First round selection (#11 overall) Taylor Lewan.
Taylor Lewan was a complete shock to me. But as I sat in my living room watching the the draft, all I could think about was how horrible it would be to draft Johnny Manziel. I was hoping for a strong defensive player at the time, but with Justin Gilbert and Anthony Barr already off the board, Lewan was a great choice. Lewan is 6’7″ 309 lbs. of pure nasty. I haven’t heard anyone make the comparison (although I’m sure some has), he reminds of a Jake Long 2.0. Some “expert” mock drafts had him going as high as the 6th overall selection and he was a steal at #11. The Titans have been criticized for taking Lewan knowing that there’s a good chance that he doesn’t start right away. With that said, I love the pick simply because of the amazing potential of the future offensive line. Plus, the chance injury is almost guaranteed. The biggest concern that I have as a Titans fan, is keeping Jake Locker healthy. What better way to do that than a with adding Lewan to and already dangerous OL.
Second round selection (#54 overall) Bishop Sankey
LOVE THIS PICK. With CJ1K in NYJ gang green , RB was a HUGE hole that needed to be filled. I will be the first to admit, with every RB available before we made this pick, I was screaming for Carlos Hyde. Hyde was a man amongst boys at the college level. His has great vision and is a very powerful downhill runner. But Hyde isn’t necessarily a 3 down back. Sankey, on the othe hand, is just that. Living on the East Coast, I didn’t catch too many University of Washington games. But after watching film and a very impressive video of Sankey doing a standing backflip while catching a pass, I’m convinced that he’s the guy I want in our backfield. He has great vision, can run, block and has great hands. I love the way he carries himself in interviews and seems like he has a great head on his shoulders (unlike some of our past draft picks with character issues). Look for him to contend for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Fourth round selection (#112 overall) DaQuan Jones
Jones is 6’4″ 322 lbs. He is a true Nose Tackle and perfect for what Ray Horton is bringing to Tennessee. He was also a 2013 1st Team All Big Ten player and has the size and talent to anchor down the defense for the Titans. I look for him to beat out newly signed DT Al Woods for playing time.
Fourth round selection (#122 overall) Marqueston Huff
At the time, I had never heard of Huff, nor watched any Wyoming football. But what I keep hearing from anyone that knows, is how versatile this guy is. with Alterraun Verner gone to Tampa Bay, we needed another fast body for our secondary. Huff can play corner or safety. I look for him to beat out Wooten for the 5th corner spot and possibly even 3rd string safety.
Fifth round Selection (#151 overall) Avery Williamson
This guy is a smart football player. Led his team at Kentucky in tackles and could very easily step into a inside linebacker rotation with Colin McCarthy (who can never stay healthy) and speedster Zach Brown. Although McCarthy and Brown are better players in my opinion, Williamson just may be more the prototypical inside linebacker that Ray Horton wants.
Sixth round selection (#178 overall) Zach Mettenberger
This pick made me ecstatic. I was not sold on any of the “top QBs” in this years class. The only other QB I would’ve like to have taken other than Mettenberger is Derek Carr. Maybe the fact that both fit the mold that coach Whiz is looking for in a QB. Mettenberger is EASILY a 2nd round talent even with past character issues. He is 6’4″ 224 lbs and has a CANNON for an arm. A perfect fit for Coach Whiz, his past doesn’t scare me one bit. He’s not exactly light on his feet, but makes up for it with his arm and size. Let me be clear on this, I am a Jake Locker guy… but if history repeats itself with all the injuries, Mettenberger is the guy to step in right away as the QB of the future. To sum it all up, I feel like there were teams with better overall draft selections, but the Tennessee Titans had a solid draft. I really like that Coach Whiz thought about reassuring our OL and getting Locker the help he deserves. Sankey should be around for years to come and what better 6th rd selection than Mettenberger!? For the first time in quite a few years, it feels like the Titans coaching staff have a plan.
