With the 2013 NFL Draft less than a month away, the Tennessee Titans look poised to continue upgrading a roster that underachieved in 2012. Addressing several needs in Free Agency, the Titans strengthened both the offensive and defensive lines, as well as improving the safety position with Pollard and Wilson.

The Titans also received three compensatory picks (97^th, 202^nd, 248^th), further positioning the organization to be creative in the upcoming draft. Now with nine total draft picks and several needs fulfilled, GM Ruston Webster and HC Mike Munchak have the ammunition and flexibility to move up or down as they see fit.

While most NFL pundits list the Titans’ major needs as defensive end and offensive guard, cornerback is just as important. Jason McCourty has already been signed to a long-term deal, but Alterraun Verner will be a free agent after 2013. If the Titans cannot retain Verner, the situation will be dire. It would behoove the organization to be proactive and draft a solid cornerback to either replace Verner in the future, or add to a solid three-man group. Here are the top five cornerback prospects in this year’s draft class:

     1. DeMarcus “Dee” Milliner, CB, Alabama

Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Dee Milliner (28) breaks up a pass intended for Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver DaVaris Daniels (10) during the second half of the 2013 BCS Championship game at Sun Life Stadium.

Milliner is considered to be the only future “shutdown” cornerback in this year’s draft class. The Alabama product was often overshadowed by former teammates Dre Kirkpatrick and Mark Barron, but Milliner is finally having his day in the sun. He blazed a 4.37 40-yard dash at the combine, silencing those questioning his straight-line speed. He also shined in the position drills, cementing his status as a top-10 pick. The Titans would absolutely jump at the chance to draft Milliner at 10^th overall, but they recognize the chances of him being on the board are slim to none.

The Eagles (4^th), Lions (5^th), and Browns (6^th) are all rumored to be interested, and moving up a few spots in the 1^st round can be costly. For example, in last year’s draft the Cowboys traded the 14^th and 45^th overall picks to move up to 6^th overall and draft LSU CB Morris Claiborne. That was surprisingly a good deal for the Cowboys in comparison to previous draft-day trades, but it still cost them a valuable 2^nd round pick. Morris Claiborne was also widely regarded as a better prospect than Milliner, and therefore the Titans will take a wait-and-see approach with Milliner.

     2. Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

Dec 1, 2012; Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

With the recent success of big, physical corners such as Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner, Xavier Rhodes (pronounced “ZAY-vee-er”) has the size and attitude to attract many NFL suitors. Rhodes excelled in press coverage in 2011 but unfortunately suffered a knee injury at the end of the season. He recovered in 2012 but still showed some tentativeness in his cuts.

Rhodes has been consistently mocked to the Dolphins at 12^th overall, and probably won’t fall out of the top 20. If the Titans truly want him, they will most likely have to draft him at 10^th to prevent the Dolphins or Buccaneers from swooping in. As the Titans prefer zone coverage, I don’t see the natural fit here. More than likely the Titans will wait to address the cornerback position until a bit later in the draft.

     3. Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington

GM Ruston Webster has ties to the Pacific Northwest, drawing upon his insight when drafting Jake Locker in 2011. Therefore, many people again see the Husky connection to the Titans. Desmond Trufant, brother of NFL CB Marcus Trufant, had a solid senior season for the Washington Huskies. He then performed exceptionally well at the NFL Combine, raising his stock into the 1^st round.

Trufant fits the Titans’ defensive scheme very well. He has exceptional short-area quickness and experience in zone coverage, as well as the size and speed to keep up with receivers on the outside. He will likely be drafted in the mid to late 1^st round, so the Titans could potentially trade back and still land him. If Trufant falls far enough, the Titans could even consider trading back into the 1^st round or up in the 2^nd round to select him.

     4. Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State

Jan 1, 2013; Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

Banks is a classic example of a good player who falls on draft day due to a bad Combine performance. People seem to focus on his disappointing 4.61 40-yard dash instead of his 2012 Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the nation’s top defensive back. Banks is a bit lanky (6’2”, 185 lbs), but he plays aggressively and has superb ball skills. He is also effective in run support and blitzing, never shying from making contact.

Banks was previously considered to be the 2^nd best prospect after Milliner, but his subpar 40-time seems to have shaken some believers. Another interesting aspect to Banks is that he has experience playing safety, and he could possibly make the transition back if desired. If he falls into the 2^nd round as many expect, the Titans might consider adding Banks to a secondary that struggled to tackle all season.

     5. Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB, Connecticut

Wreh-Wilson is another example of the taller, physical cornerback that many NFL teams are seeking these days. His combination of length and speed make him desirable, and he plays consistently with attitude. However, what isn’t consistent is his tackling. He often lunges at ball carriers instead of squaring up, but he does have good short area quickness to shed blocks.

Wreh-Wilson will most likely be drafted in the middle rounds, so the Titans could target him to add some depth. He would benefit from the Titans zone coverage schemes, as he lacks elite speed but has good quickness to break up short passes.

     Honorable Mention: Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU

November 5, 2011; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; LSU Tigers cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (7) catches a pass during warmups on the field before their game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

It just didn’t feel right not including Tyrann Mathieu in an article about cornerbacks, whether because of his highly publicized off-field issues or his superb athletic talent. Deion Sanders summed it up best, “The kid can ball.” If you watch the NFL Combine or college football at all, you recognize how natural an athlete Mathieu truly is. Yes, he did disappoint with only four reps on the bench press, but a football doesn’t weigh 225 pounds. His stature (5’9”, 186 lbs) also has drawn concern, but “Honey Badger” don’t care.

From Heisman Trophy finalist in 2011 to expulsion from the team in 2012, Mathieu has been working to repair his image and life. He is receiving treatment for substance abuse, as well as working with mentor John Lucas. Undersized and riddled with character concerns, Mathieu is very reminiscent of one such player from West Virginia, Pacman Jones. Both players had catchy nicknames and game-changing ability, also being electric punt returners. Mathieu presents incredible upside but his red flags will drop him down draft boards a bit. A team with established management and leadership should take a chance on Mathieu, but the Titans are a doubtful suitor. Pacman already burned this franchise, and I don’t see the Titans even entertaining that possibility again.

Conclusion: Conventional wisdom says the Titans will either upgrade the offensive or defensive line with the 10^th overall pick, but I can certainly see a possible scenario in which they draft a cornerback. If Dee Milliner falls to them, the decision has already been made. If the Titans are especially keen on Rhodes or Trufant, they could hopefully maneuver down the draft board and acquire additional picks. Free Agency was a significant improvement, so hopefully the draft will continue that trend.

You can follow me on Twitter @dfleming22

David Fleming

Nov 11, 2012; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Zach Brown (55) shows the ball he intercepted against Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (not pictured) in the fourth quarter at Sun Life Stadium. The Titans defeated the Dolphins 37-3. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

In a year where the Tennessee Titans defense was allowing one of the league’s worst 29.6 ppg they came out firing on all cylinders and held the Miami Dolphins to 3 points. All 3 phases of the defense were playing with effort and preparation like we have not seen since 2008.

Whatever Jerry Gray did last week, he needs to keep doing because it worked.

The defensive line recorded 2 sacks, 2 pass defelctions and endless quarterback hurries. I have been praising Derrick Morgan all season for his drastic improvement, but his play Sunday proved that he is the best defensive linemen on the Titans roster. Not by a long shot by any means, but he is a complete defensive end that has provided consistent play.

The Titans have the youngest corps of starting linebackers in the league in Ayers, McCarthy and Brown. They each recorded an interception last Sunday and McCarthy returned his for a touchdown off a tipped pass by Ayers. If the defense wants to keep playing like this they will need these kinds of performances from the heart of their defense.

Jason McCourty set the tone early when he stripped Reggie Bush after what looked to be a steady drive by the Dolphins offense. The turnover seemed to get in the heads of the Dolphins while boosting the confidence and morale of the Titans to a season high. It was beautiful to watch, over and over again.

For this team to keep moving forward a well-managed bye week for McCarthy to get healthier is a top priority.

I am curious to see how a game like this affects this young roster. Will it keep them on a high that they would never relinquish? Or will it make their egos bigger than life and cause a downward failure? I prefer the former.

My Grade- A+

CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson got yards in chunks and the Bills’ screen game looked nearly perfect. The Titans linebackers were lost in coverage too often. The absence of Colin McCarthy is a tremendous hit to the front seven. As a captain, McCarthy would ideally spot screens and check downs that destroyed the Titans on Sunday. Fred Jackson recorded 8 catches on 11 targets. These numbers show me that the check down was open all game and against the Bills’ running back duo that is truly a combination of poor game planning and bad personnel.

Their offensive line is one of the best in the NFL and they did a great job of blowing the Titans off the ball, but that didn’t stop Kamerion Wimbley from getting a crucial strip sack that was recovered by Derrick Morgan. Morgan also deflected 2 passes and hit Ryan Fitzpatrick twice. I am quite pleased with the progress Derrick Morgan has made this year. “Big play Babs” lead the Titans in tackles for the second straight week, this time with 12 tackles, a pass deflection and a quarterback hit.

There are a couple of plays I want to showcase that highlight some improvement, but also some serious concerns I have in regards to the play calling.

Good:

The Titans line up in nickel with two safeties deep, pretty standard play call here. It is the 3rd quarter, 1st down and the cushion is softer than I prefer. From the tape it seems Tennessee is running a zone with the corners and safeties all responsible deep.

Except for Ryan Mouton. i do not know his responsibilities on this play, nor do I want to guess. However, I do know he becomes very flat-footed and the slot receiver has a tremendous opportunity of become wide-freaking-open. Luckily, Kamerion Wimbley does what he is paid to do. In the shot above you can clearly see Wimbley has beaten the left tackle with an outside speed rush, or what I like to call a dip move.

At this point Ryan Fitzpatrick has no idea Wimbley is about to blow him up. It only took 2.5 seconds for Kamerion Wimbley to reach Fitzpatrick from the snap of the ball. That is incredible. Plays like this have been missing from the Titans d-line since Kearse. As Fitzpatrick begins to unload on what looks to be an easy first down, he gets mauled by 95.

Sack and fumble, recovered by Derrick Morgan. This goes to show you pressure from a good defensive line can make up for a lot of mistakes in the secondary. Their were at least two open receivers just before Fitz was hit.

Bad:

The Titans are lined up in nickel with Ayers and Shaw at linebacker. I believe the play call is a cover-2 sink with the safeties as the only deep protection. J-Mac is responsible for the outside receiver, but once he goes in motion the Titans defense becomes a little confused.

Ayers and J-Mac both jump on the underneath receiver leaving Michael Griffin one on one with Donald Jones. Jones is certainly nothing special, but he catches Griffin flowing outside and flat footed on a post pattern, easy touchdown.

If the call was in fact a Cover-2 sink, Ayers and J-mac did not need to simultaneously jump the underneath route, at least one of them should have sunk more to tighten the throwing window and not put so much pressure on Griffin. Nonetheless, Griffin misses again for a touchdown.

It was nice to see the Titans come away with another win and they are certainly still in the hunt in the AFC, but there will come a time when this secondary needs to hold its ground and stop someone.

My grade: C

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