Tennessee Titans: Wide Receivers Available In 2nd Round
By Les Bailey
The Tennessee Titans were pretty bad in 2014, but they did have a bit of a passing game that was working. Although Head Coach, Ken Whisenhunt, and his team were at the bottom of most defensive categories, they were 22nd in the net passing game.
Surprisingly, only the Indianapolis Colts were better in the AFC South. The Titans actually had better numbers than Houston, and Jacksonville, and the workhorse in Titan Blue was Tight End, Delannie Walker who caught 63 balls for 890 yards, and four touchdowns.
In fact, as luck would have it(no pun intended here), Andrew Luck, and his buddies from up North led the league with 410 for 661 netting 4894 yards, and 42 touchdowns.
I suspect for the Titans to address the offensive line with the second pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, but if there were a speed burner available with the 33rd pick on day two, I could see them getting a deep threat target for Quarterback, Zach Mettenberger, or whom ever is calling signals in 2015.
Maybe if they scare the defense enough to thin the box out at the snap, it would take some of the pressure off the anemic line play. Of course, a running threat might help as well.
The Titans have only had one 1000 yard receiver in over a decade in Music City. Before Kendall Wright’s 1013 effort that went for 1079 yards you have to go all the way back to 2004 when Drew Bennett went over a 1000 yards.
There are a couple of speed burners in the first round, but there is no way the Titans will pull that trigger. Of course, Amari Cooper out of Alabama, and Kevin White from West Virginia would be nice, but neither will make it into the second round.
Kevin White out performed the Titans in Morgantown last year pulling in 109 receptions for 1447 yards and ten touchdowns. White was the fastest at the Combine logging a 4.35 in the 40, and at over 6′ 2″ and 215 pounds, is a proto-typical NFL receiver.
Receivers Who Might Fall Into The Second Round
- Devin Smith Ohio State Univ.
- Jaelen Strong Arizona State Univ.
- Dorial Green-Beckham Missouri
Devin Smith is ranked #25 on the Scouts.com board, and is an outside chance to make the second round. At 6.0′ 196, the Senior off of Urban Meyers’ National Championship team hauled in 33 passes for 931 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has 4.42 speed in the 40.
Smith has great ball skills downfield, but has question marks regarding toughness in the middle of the field. On the upside, he has never missed a game in four years at Columbus.
Jaelen Strong is a bit larger than Smith, and had better numbers in the Pac-12. Strong caught 82 passes for 1165 yards, and 10 touchdowns. He is a little over 6’2 and 217 pounds and hit the 40 at 4.44. He is ranked just behind Smith on the Scouts board at #26.
He’s a big physical receiver, but struggles in and out of his breaks, and probably needs to work on his route running skills.
Dorial Green-Beckham is a big raw kid with some talent, but has major red flags with his character. At 6′-5″ and 237 pounds, he is a little slow, at 4.49 in the 40, but could make someone a fine receiver in the right environment.
Without the off-field problems, this kid would be gone at this point, but with them, will probably fall into the second round. Problems with marijuana charges, and violence, the Titans should probably steer clear and let someone else deal with his past.
Solid Second Round Possibilities
- Devin Funchess Michigan
- Nelson Agholor USC
- Breshard Perryman Central Florida
- Phillip Dorsett Miami(Fl)
Devin Funchess has the attributes for a wide receiver, but was converted from tight end in college, and is probably a tweener. At 6’4″ and 232 pounds, he is classified as a smooth receiver. He caught 62 passes for 733 yards, and four touchdowns. He has moderate speed at 4.7 in the 40, and is ranked 37th on the Scouts big board.
Nelson Agholor is a little undersized for the NFL, and at 6′ and 198 pounds, needs to add some weight to play at this level. He was a workhorse at USC last year, logging 105 receptions for 1313 yards, with 12 touchdowns. He will make someone a nice possession receiver. His big intangible is he knows the price for success, and is willing to put in the work.
Breshard Perryman out of Central Florida is the one that intrigues me the most. He has enough size at 6’2″ and 217 pounds, and has 4.24 speed. He caught 50 passes for the Golden Knights for 1044 yards and nine touchdowns. This is your outside speed burner. Scouts.com have him ranked #45 and 9th in position. He is ripped, and with a father who played in the NFL, knows what it takes to be successful at this level.
Phillip Dorsett out of “The U” is another intriguing prospect for the Titans. He is small, at 5’9″ and 185 pounds, and probably wouldn’t be a great Red-Zone target, but has been a workhorse in Miami. He caught 36 passes for 871 yards, and scored 10 times. With great speed at 4.33 in the 40, would be an option with the 33nd pick.
Wrap Up
If you have read any of my posts on the subject, you know that I believe in team speed. You can take a speedy person and coach them into an NFL prospect, but can’t teach a kid how to run a 4.33 40. That’s raw talent that can’t be coached.
No one knows which direction the Tennessee Titans are going, but if a receiver in the second round is on the agenda, there are some good ones available. Most of these kids will not be around when they get into the third round.
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