Fixing the Tennessee Titans worst draft decision in franchise history
By Will Lomas
In a 2011 re-draft, is this the right move for the Tennessee Titans?
The 2011 NFL Draft may go down as one of the worst big decisions in Tennessee Titans history.
The Titans desperately needed a quarterback and Jake Locker was viewed by some as a prospect with tons of athletic ability and the intangibles to lead a locker room. However, he was very inaccurate and many people had him as the 3rd-best QB in that draft class behind Cam Newton (sure) and Blaine Gabbert (oh).
In a draft with several Hall of Fame defenders and All Pros scattered throughout the first round, the Titans selected a QB who retired from football before getting his second contract.
Jake Locker is a great human being by all accounts, but the decision to draft him was a mistake and it is one that cost the Titans dearly. Not only did the Titans have to go back to the drawing board at QB, but they missed out on so many elite players.
Well, Benjamin Solak did a re-draft of the 2011 NFL Draft, and with the 8th pick in the draft the Titans had a ton of options. The only players off the board were: Newton, Von Miller, J.J. Watt, Julio Jones, Patrick Peterson, A.J. Green, and Justin Houston.
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So with the 8th pick the Titans selected: Jurrell Casey DT, USC.
This is such a bittersweet pick for me. Casey has been an absolute star and was a steal in the third round, but ultimately even a redraft wouldn’t have made that team better.
As an ambassador of the Titans brand and as the heart and soul of the defense for nearly a decade, I would absolutely make this pick knowing what I know now.
If the Titans could somehow hide Casey from being on this list, then several names would have been great additions to that 2011 roster.
–Ryan Kerrigan is likely a Hall of Fame sleeper right now considering his consistent domination as a pass rusher (he’s never had less than 7.5 sacks per year and he averages 10.5 sacks per season).
-Cam Jordan has really come into his own as a defensive lineman over the past few years and could potentially be the best defensive player on a Super Bowl team this year.
–Mike Pouncey coming in to replace Kevin Mawae would have been really fun and it probably would have turned the Titans offensive line into a powerhouse for the next decade.
In a world where the Titans can still steal Casey in the third round, there is one pick that I would have loved to see in this redraft. Drafting Richard Sherman would have made the Titans one of the most fun defenses in NFL history.
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That defense would have had Jason McCourty, Michael Griffin, Jurrell Casey, Derrick Morgan, Karl Klug, Jason Jones, and Dave Ball, all of which are fan favorites or players that were never really given their proper respect. But the most fun thing? The Tennessee Titans would have had Cortland Finnegan and Richard Sherman playing boundary CB.
The two most in-your-face, brash corners in the NFL over the last decade lined up across from each other giving receivers an ear full after every catch or drop.
Like I said, I definitely agree with the re-drafting of Jurrell Casey especially when you look at his longevity. But, just for fun, if Tennessee could keep Casey and take one other player, Sherman would have made the 2011 Titans legendary.