November 25, 2012; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kendall Wright (13) is defended by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Jeremy Mincey (94) and cornerback Derek Cox (21) during the game at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Foldy-USA TODAY Sports

Competition brings out the best in any true competitor. Fans should anticipate much competition from the Tennessee Titans, who prepare for training camp with many roster spots that are up for grabs. There’s a logjam of talent on the offensive line and defensive line. That doesn’t include John Abraham or Israel Idonije, who may join the rotation at defensive end.

Kendall Wright and Derrick Morgan are two players who are locks for the 53-man roster. Both players are all-but-guaranteed starting jobs or key role positions (e.g. slot receiver). Despite that, they’re searching for every advantage that will help them take their games to the next level. Simple things that will make them more productive on Sundays—and a Thursday night.

Craig Peters from Titans Online wrote an article about how Wright and Morgan have both spent this offseason focusing on their health. Wright lost 14 pounds after he eliminated junk food from his diet. He has replaced his junk-food habits with fruits, vegetables and a daily breakfast that often consists of turkey, bacon and either eggs or egg whites. This puts Wright at 5-10 and 187 pounds.

Will Morgan enjoy a breakout campaign during the 2013-14 NFL season? He’s another player who has emphasized a stronger focus toward strength and conditioning. According to Morgan:

That’s one of my major goals, is to be in the best shape of my life coming into the season and just taking care of my body.

With or without Abraham, the Titans need Morgan to develop into what that they had hoped for when they drafted him with the No. 16 pick of the 2010 NFL Draft. A perceived lack of depth at defensive end has made it more important that he’s in the best shape possible. The Titans can’t afford any long-term injuries similar to his ACL tear from 2010.

What can fans expect from this offense? A lot of change. Dowell Loggains will get his first full-season opportunity to install his offense and everything that goes with it. Jake Locker will have a healthy shoulder. Two-fifths, possibly three-fifths of the offensive line have been upgraded. Jared Cook has been replaced with Delanie Walker, a more-complete tight end. While Wright has lost weight, the Titans have asked Justin Hunter to gain weight. Kenny Britt is another season removed from his 2011 ACL injury.

Many different faces. Many different philosophies. For the Tennessee Titans, it all starts with getting the players physically and mentally prepared for training camp. Good to see two of the future cornerstones taking their off-field responsibilities seriously.

Joshua Huffman

2010 NFL Draft Report Card Fan Grade
Team: Tennessee Titans
Round 1, Pick 16: Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
Votes: 88
Incomplete: 3
Calculated Votes: 85
Median: 80 (B)
Mode: 80 (B)
STAFF GRADES: Here
FAN GRADE: 80.47 (B)
FAN GRADE W/ CURVE: N/A

Analysis
There wasn’t much disagreement about whether Morgan was a good or bad pick. Had the poll options been more extensive (e.g. include an “85″), the 80.47 grade could’ve easily jumped up a couple points.

Excluding “incomplete” votes, 11 of 85 voters (12.94 percent) chose a grade lower than a “B.” Nobody chose anything less than average. Three voters considered this as an “A,” which is an excellent pick. The three voters who chose “incomplete” probably believed that it was too soon to a evaluate a player who missed all but four games of his rookie season with an injury. They’d prefer to wait until he finishes a complete third season.

For Morgan, the 2013-14 NFL season could go a long way in determining his overall value. The farther removed Morgan has gotten from the ACL injury that he suffered during his 2010-11 rookie season, the better he has gotten. Although Morgan has 10.5 sacks over his first three seasons, 6.5 of those came this past season.

Stay tuned as Titan Sized continues this series of 2010 NFL Draft report cards.

Sep 16, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) steps up in the pocket to avoid pressure from Tennessee Titans defensive end Derrick Morgan (91) and defensive end Kamerion Wimbley (95) during the first quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Toward the end of April, I acknowledged that Titan Sized would conduct a series of 2010 NFL Draft report cards. Josh Gunnels, David Fleming and I’ve teamed together to assess each of the nine picks from that draft. Over the next two weeks, we’ll give our grades and overall evaluations on each of those players. Furthermore, we’ll ask our readers to give their own grade via a poll. To make sure that there aren’t too many options, we’ll keep polling options to 100-90-80-70… etc.

Let’s start with Tennessee Titans defensive end Derrick Morgan. Taken with the No. 16 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Morgan continues to progress into a well-balanced defensive lineman who offers value as a run-defender and pass-rush specialist. During his rookie season, Morgan was limited to four games because of an ACL injury. It wasn’t until this past season when Morgan appeared like the player who the Titans expected when they drafted him.

On to the grades.

2010 NFL Draft Report Card Evaluation
Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
Round 1, Pick 16
Still With Team: YES

Career Stats
Career Games: 35
Tackles: 94
Sacks: 10.5
Pass Deflections: 9
Stuffs: 7
Forced Fumbles: 1
Fumble Recoveries: 1

Joshua Huffman (Editor): 77.5 (C+)

From picks No. 14-18 in the 2010 NFL Draft, Derrick Morgan is the only player who hasn’t earned Pro Bowl recognition. That could change during the 2013-14 NFL season. But until it does, Morgan must continue to build off a strong second-half from the 2012-13 season. His ACL injury from 2010-11 has made this similar to grading a player after his second season. The farther he gets from that injury, the better he should get.

Josh Gunnels (Assistant Editor, Lead Columnist): 85 (B+ to B)

It’s well known that the Giants snagged Jason Pierre-Paul directly in front of the Titans pick in the 2010 draft.  Morgan looked like a great pick in his first 3 games while providing pressure on the quarterback early and often.  His knee injury shouldn’t affect his draft grade as it can happen to anyone.  Morgan’s tackles, assists, and sacks all doubled or better from 2011-2012, setting him up for a stellar year to come. Given the players taken after Morgan, the Titans made the right move with the pick.

David Fleming (Contributor): 82 (B)

Having won ACC Defensive Player of the Year his junior season, Derrick Morgan appeared to be one of the safest picks entering the 2010 draft. Unfortunately, Morgan suffered a torn ACL only four games into his rookie season, but since he has been steadily progressing. Morgan receives an 82 because he hasn’t yet become the dominant force that we initially expected, but he is still improving

Titan Sized Staff (3 Participants): 81.5 (B)

85 + 82 + 77.5 = (244.5 / 3) = 81.5

What do Titan Sized readers think? Answer in the poll below. All grades will get averaged and tallied within the next 2-3 days.

Tomorrow: Damian Williams, WR, USC