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Tennessee Titans oldest impact players

By Will Lomas

Jan 1, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) is tackled by Tennessee Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard (59) after a reception during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) is tackled by Tennessee Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard (59) after a reception during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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One aspect of the Tennessee Titans draft that isn’t talked about enough.

If you are an NFL Draft fan, then it is almost your Christmas time with the draft just over a week away. The Tennessee Titans are set to essentially be in the drivers seat of this draft with two flexible draft picks in the 1st rounds.

When making a needs list for the Tennessee Titans, the top isn’t that hard. Of course any list has to start out with cornerback or wide receiver in some order depending on how much you think a run-first offense really needs a true #1 WR.

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After that though, there is a mix of positions that could be addressed. Do you start to look at a TE2 to replace Anthony Fasano?

What about looking at a third pass rusher to get in the mix and help the Tennessee Titans avoid those 2nd string doldrums their defense gets in when Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan are out?

Is it time to look for a more versatile inside linebacker in this defense similar to players like Ryan Shazier, Lawrence Timmons and others?

One factor that really needs to be considered in all of this is age.

If you don’t know, Jon Robinson made a huge point last year about a lot of his picks being for the future not just guys they should start now.

Players like Austin Johnson, Derrick Henry, LeShaun Sims, and Sebastian Tretola were all supposed to be players that were potential starters in year two or beyond.

So, if you plan on having a player for one more year or if you think they will face a drop off in a year, then grabbing someone to replace them makes a lot of sense. This list of older impact players may prove prophetic on draft weekend.

These are all predicted starters and their age at the start of the season:

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    • TE Delanie Walker, 33

    This is the one that everyone talks about. Walker is going to be 33 this season although you could argue who cares? No, honestly why does it matter?

    There are some things about Walker that make this almost a non factor. In his first 7 season he was almost a complete non factor on the San Francisco offense. He didn’t see a lot of work and he never once had 30+ catches.

    That insanely light workload combined with the fact that over the last three years he has had 890, 1,088 and 800 yards respectively. Those are very impressive numbers for a tight end and he actually had more touchdowns last year than he ever had with the Tennessee Titans before.

    So, I get it. He is going to be 33, but this is only his 5th year as a real starter. I’m not sure I am ready to make a huge move based just on his age.

    RB DeMarco Murray, 29

    This is not a big deal. The Tennessee Titans have an insurance policy behind Murray named Derrick Henry so there is no way they consider a big move at this position.

    The only reason this is of note is because the really don’t have a 3rd running back. If they found a speedy, dynamic running back that could return kicks on Day 3 of the draft, then I could see them pulling the trigger.

    ILB Wesley Woodyard, 31

    Woodyard is one of the players having a resurgence in Dick LeBeau’s defense. I think that he showed that he can be a capable starting linebacker in the 3-4 in Tennessee, but the question is for how long?

    He has earned the respect of his teammates and was the special teams captain last year. He should see a lot of time on defense this year, but I could see the Tennessee Titans bringing in a developmental, rangy linebacker in the 3rd round or later to play special teams and fine tune behind Woodyard.

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    EDGE Brian Orakpo, 31

    This is a big deal. Brian Orakpo is a stud, and probably the best player on this defense over the last two years. The Titans need to be actively trying to find their 3rd pass rusher who can play in the more traditional 3-4 OLB role that Orakpo plays on the right side of the defense.

    I’m not saying that Orakpo is anywhere close to done, but if they want to really keep him healthy and keep him around for 4-5 more years they need to cut back on his reps significantly.

    Those are the players at, above or nearing 30 years old on this Tennessee Titans team. Don’t be surprised if some of them see their replacements make their way to the roster in this draft at potentially surprising moments.

    If the Tennessee Titans trade down, keep an eye on pass rusher or inside linebacker to be taken to keep the dropoff minimal between the young prospect and the player he is replacing/supplementing.

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