Titan Sized Draft Diary: Holy Titans & Kenny Vaccaro Lovefest

Dear Diary,

The Titans have been linked with Texas’ safety Kenny Vaccaro in plenty of mock drafts lately. I’m not quite sure how I feel about the idea of the Titans taking Vaccaro with the 10th overall pick.

Feb 25, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Kenny Vaccaro runs the 40 yard dash during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

On one hand, the Titans just added veteran safety George Wilson and as of now, he should be chalked in to be the starter next to free safety Michael Griffin. He’s not the big playmaker he used to be, turning 32 in just a matter of days, but his play should easily be better than any of the other SS’s on the roster. His two-year contract shows that he will not be the long-term solution for the Titans; he’s just a stop-gap guy.

Speaking of long-term solutions, if a team was looking for such a solution at the safety position, this would seem to be the year to do it. The 2013 NFL Draft looks to boast one of the best safety classes in a while. That being said, there’s not anyone who really leaps off the board as huge playmaker who’ll change a game.

Oct 6, 2012; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns safety Kenny Vaccaro (4) looks into the back field during the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. West Virginia beat Texas 48-45. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Vaccaro is widely accepted as the best safety of the class. The reason I like him is because he seems to be the most balanced of the safeties, doing well in both the run and pass defense. Should the Titans take a safety, I’d like the guy to be the full package to better stabilize the backfield. Watching Griffin struggle back there by himself has been enough to kill me.

There are some guys who are exciting, though, such as Florida’s hard-hitting Matt Elam. My worries about him are that he’ll only increase the missed tackle problem the Titans suffered from the past year or two. I think I’d feel a bit uneasy if the Titans took him, but at the same time I’d like to see them address the position with a long-term solution.

If they really think Vaccaro is the long-term answer, then I’m on board. That is, I’m on board if they’ve filled their offensive line needs and if the rest of the top guys have been taken off the board (ie Warmack, Milliner).

Well, that’s all for today, Diary.

53 days until the draft.

You can find me on Twitter @JustinLStewart