Nov 25, 2012; Jacksonville FL, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kendall Wright (13) runs between Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Jeremy Mincey (94) and cornerback Derek Cox (21) in the first quarter of their game at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

We’ve been releasing individual grades for the Tennessee Titans rookie season performances in the 2012 season and now it’s time to recap those grades and come with an overall group grade. Thanks to all the writers here at Titan Sized who put in the work on these grades.

Oct 7, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kendall Wright (13) catches a pass against the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth quarter at the Metrodome. The Vikings win 30-7. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

1st pick (20th) WR Kendall Wright GRADE: B

Kendall Wright will no doubt prove to be a strong addition to the Tennessee Titans franchise. We are currently experiencing some growing pains on both sides of the ball, but in just his first year of professional football, Wright has shown that he is already on par with respected veterans of the league, and he will only continue to get better as he matures as a player, and the offense begins to find it’s identity.

Nov 25, 2012; Jacksonville FL, USA; Tennessee Titans linebacker Zach Brown (55) sacks Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne (7) in the first quarter of their game at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

2nd pick (52nd) OLB Zach Brown GRADE: A

Brown consistently made himself noticeable in games, he did not hide or shy away from contact, and was an immediate play maker for a defense that desperately needed one. Look for Brown to be a play maker for the Titans now and in the future. Brown teamed with other young LB’s Akeem Ayers, and Colin McCarthy has the potential to be a special group.

Aug 30, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Mike Martin (67) puts pressure on New Orleans Saints quarterback Sean Canfield (4) during the first half of a preseason game at LP Field. Tennessee won 10 to 6. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

3rd pick (82nd) DT Mike Martin GRADE: A-

Martin has shown more than enough to be a starter, and enough flashes to convince me he could one day be a dominant UT. I don’t think he’ll ever become a Melton/Kevin Williams type UT, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he makes enough strides to become a 6 sack a year player, and with his dominance in the run game, that would be one hell of a starter.

Sep 16, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers running back Ronnie Brown (30) runs the ball to the one yardline before being tackled by Tennessee Titans cornerback Coty Sensabaugh (24) during the fourth quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

4th pick (115th) CB Coty Sensabaugh GRADE: C+

Sensabaugh mainly played nickel for the Titans and that looks to be the position that he will stick at unless there are injuries to the starters. On tape, he looks a little indecisive and he must get that fixed if he would like to play often.

Dec 23, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Tennessee Titans tight end Taylor Thompson (84) reaches back to try and catch a pass during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

5th pick (145th)TE Taylor Thompson GRADE: C

Overall I grade Thompson out at a “C”. His contribution level was obviously low, and he has a lot to work on, but there weren’t any real expectations for him either. Based on special teams play and blocking, he would grade out higher, but in the NFL you can’t draft guys to play special teams.

Jan 2, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys safety Markelle Martin (10) before the game against the Stanford Cardinal in the 2012 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Hilderbrand-USA TODAY Sports

6th pick (190th)FS Markelle Martin GRADE: To Be Determined

It would seem to be essential for the Titans to either draft a young, stud safety (Matt Elam, DJ Swearinger) or sign a proven, dependable guy, which would probably be harder to find. But if they don’t, then perhaps they believe that Markelle Martin can be the answer. He might just be. He was pretty damn good at Oklahoma State before having knee problems that caused him to drop to the sixth round of the 2012 draft and subsequently miss his first season as a rookie. Still, he might be an option. I hope he is, but we’ll find out soon enough.

Aug 23, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Ryan Lindley (14) passes against Tennessee Titans defensive end Scott Solomon (90) during the second half at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

7th pick (211th) DE Scott Solomon GRADE: C+

He needs to be more effective in his sophomore year. Perhaps some of his struggles were due to an injured foot that cost him his 2011 college season. I don’t know, but Solomon didn’t make enough of an impression this year to warrant more than a C+.

Dec 23, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Tennessee Titans tight end Taylor Thompson (84) reaches back to try and catch a pass during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Titans had their fans’ eyes rolling when they selected Taylor Thompson with their fifth round pick in the 2012 draft.  The Titans still had a need (that was never filled) at offensive line and defensive end, but instead took a tight end.  A tight end that played defensive end in college none the less.  More surprising was that the Titans moved up in the draft to select Thompson, for fear that he wouldn’t fall the 10 spots to them.

It’s obvious that the selection of a defensive end that you want for a tight end in the fifth round has “project” painted all over it.  Thompson’s raw materials are great to work with at 6’6″ and 259 lbs.  He also ran 4.56 40 yard dash and has a 37 ” vertical.  After watching Gronkowski tear it up in New England and tight ends such as Antonio Gates previously paving the way, the Titans were looking for another weapon, even if they had to dig a little deeper to find it.

Thompson’s rookie campaign was less than stellar, but no one’s ready to give up on him yet.   Mostly visible on the special teams unit, Thompson’s blocking helped Reynaud on many returns and was instrumental as a key blocker during the Music City Miracle part II against Detroit.  He saw limited action throughout the year and managed to drop a handful of the few passes thrown his way.

After Jarred Cook went down with a season ending shoulder injury, Taylor Thompson got his chance to shine in the final games of the season.  He ended up with an eye popping 3 catches for 27 yards during the last 2 games, bringing his season total to 6 catches for 41 yards.  How much of this is an indictment on him is yet to be seen.  He saw limited playing time in an under-performing offense for sure.  With another off-season under his belt, this coming year should prove whether Thompson was worth the investment or not, especially if Cook doesn’t come back.

I applaud the Titans for the effort, and the book certainly isn’t written yet.  But with how slow they have proven to be at developing early round picks, that should be game ready week 1, how long will it take a project like this?  Hopefully Thompson can prove the front office right and develop his hands during this off-season.  While I am rooting for Thompson to have success, I also hope the Titans leave the projects for when they are a more established franchise with less immediate needs.  They simply aren’t in a position to do this again in 2013.

Overall I grade Thompson out at a “C”.  His contribution level was obviously low, and he has a lot to work on, but there weren’t any real expectations for him either.  Based on special teams play and blocking, he would grade out higher, but in the NFL you can’t draft guys to play special teams.

Do you think Taylor Thompson will work out?

GRADE: C

Tune in Thursday for CB Coty Sensabaugh’s review.

you can find me on twitter    @gunnelsj

Sep 30, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Tennessee Titans defensive end Scott Solomon (90) defends against the Houston Texans offense during the game at Reliant Stadium. The Texans defeated the Titans 38-14. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Titans drafted DE Scott Solomon with their final pick of the 2012 draft in the 7th round. It was surprising to everyone familiar with the Titans that they didn’t address the DE position earlier in the draft, having Derrick Morgan and Kamerion Wimbley slotted as their starters, Morgan still being surrounded with questions and Wimbley moving from 3-4 OLB to 4-3 DE. None the less, they waited until the 7th round to pick up some depth.

Cue a season where DE Dave Ball ended up on IR before the start and the Titans have a muddle mix of backups behind Morgan and Wimbley. Solomon saw plenty of action this season, much more than I anticipated. I’ve yet to decided whether that’s a good thing or not.

Early in the season, Solomon was completely ineffective, being easily pushed past the pocket and not posing much trouble for any offensive tackles. He became lost in a group of DE’s which consisted of a handful of free agent signings.

Solomon finished the season with four total tackles. He needs to grow headed into his sophomore season if he’d like to make an impact and stick with the team. Some of his biggest areas of growth need to come from better utilization of his legs and arms. Solomon looks top heavy on tape. He needs to lean forward more and lower his stance so he can get under tackles. He’s a strong guy, but when he runs vertically and tries to overpower tackles with his arms, he fails. Getting lower and learning how to better use his arms to avoid tackles are imperative.

It’s hard to be too rough on a 7th round pick when critiquing them. They’re always a bit of a longshot, but you always hope for the best. I gave the Titans an A- when they took him in the 7th round this past draft. Most of that came from Solomon’s reported work ethics and the fact that the Titans needed some DE depth. As for Solomon’s rookie season grade, I’ll give him a C+.

He needs to be more affective in his sophomore year. Perhaps some of his struggles were due to an injured foot that cost him his 2011 college season. I don’t know, but Solomon didn’t make enough of an impression this year to warrant more than a C+.

GRADE: C+

Tune in Thursday for FS Markelle Martin’s review.

You can find me on Twitter @JustinLStewart