2015 NFL Mock Draft: Tennessee Titans 2nd Round Possibilities
By Les Bailey
The Tennessee Titans were slow to get started in Free Agency this year, but when they got down to business, I am convinced they made some nice moves. A little help on the offensive side of the ball with the addition of Harry Douglas from the Atlanta Falcons and Anthony Fasano from the Chiefs, but the real meat and potatoes that came were served on the defense.
Assistant Head Coach/Defense, Dick LeBeau had Christmas in March when they signed Brian Orakpo from the Washington Redskins. In fact, the former Pro Bowl pass rusher came to town for a one-day visit while on his way to Arizona, and never left.
Adding Da’Norris Searcy and Perrish Cox along with re-signing Derrick Morgan put this team into a great draft-day position. It showed other teams that although Leonard Williams from USC “should be” the Titans selection with the second pick, they have options.
As we start discussing the Titans second pick at 33, we will assume the team took Leonard Williams in the first round, or traded down and got another good defensive pick at where ever they landed.
Team Needs
It’s actually easier to talk about what the Titans don’t need, because they really need everything, but I have polled the staff here at Titan Sized, and we have a couple of possibilities for that second pick at 33.
I felt like the team really needed to get some help on the offensive line with this pick, with a speedy wide receiver as a close second option. Brock Drury agreed with the offensive line idea, but was keen on adding a running back.
I gave that some thought, and feel like if they can upgrade the offensive line, Bishop Sankey can make that step that wasn’t there last year. There is still time to get him some good help in maybe the third or fourth round.
Head Coach, Ken Whisenhunt and General Manager, Ruston Webster need to make a decision on Shonn Greene. They can’t dump him without taking a cap hit but after his performance in 2014, he needs to be on a short leash and maybe out the door anyway.
Because Brock and I agree that the first need is an Offensive Tackle, that’s where we will start!
Offensive Line
Where’s The Beef?
The Tennessee Titans are very thin on the offensive line at all positions. The only backup option is Byron Stingily at Left Tackle. The Titans pulled Byron off the UFA list, and re-signed him to backup Taylor Lewan.
The remainder of the O-Line is on the UFA list, and either need to be re-signed, replaced in this draft, or found somewhere in free agency. Problem is, most teams with good O-Line players are not going to be wanting to part with them.
Round Two Possibilities for an Offensive Tackle
The top five tackles ranked by Scouts.com:
- Brandon Scherff Iowa
- Andrus Peat Stanford
- Ereck Flowers Miami(Fl)
- T.J. Clemmings Pittsburgh
- La’El Collins LSU
All five are expected to go in round one, with the possibility of Collins slipping into the second round. The Titans pick first in the second round, so if Collins falls, the Titans can have him. Collins is a Left Tackle, but plays nasty and through the whistle. He would be a great pick if available.
Scouts.com also has D.J. Humphries from Florida falling int the second round.
DraftCountDown.com is a little higher on La’El Collins, and have him ranked third on their list of Offensive Tackles. They aren’t as high on Andrus Peat out of Stanford, and moved him to sixth in their rankings.
Remaining OT’s that should be available with the 33rd pick(from DraftCountDown.com
- D.J. Humphries Florida
- Cedric Ogbuehi Texas A&M
- Jake Fisher Oregon
- Ty Sambrailo Colorado State
- Jeremiah Poutasi Utah
Of course, there are other needs along the offensive line, but getting a good tackle here is key!
Unless Collins falls to 33, D.J Humphries is the best available at this pick. He is a Junior out of Florida, and has good skills. He is 6’5 at 307 pounds, has good lateral movement with fair to good footwork. He is a seasoned pass protector, and can seal the edge and get to the second level in the running game.
The problem we have here, he plays Left Tackle, and has had some injury problems. He missed two games in 2014 with high ankle sprains, and he missed half of the 2013 season with injuries to both knees.
Humphries is a SEC warrior, and if the Titans coaching staff thinks they could move him to the right side, he would be an excellent pick. ESPN ranked him 6th in position out of the Combine, and 35th over all. That puts him squarely in the crosshairs for the Tennessee Titans.
Next: Realistic Goals For Tennessee Titans In 2015 Draft