Tennessee Titans: Recovering from Ruston Webster
By P. L. Colter
Yes, Ruston Webster technically “drafted” quarterback Marcus Mariota with the second overall pick of the draft. I put air quotes around drafted because Mariota basically fell to the Titans when Tampa Bay, who owned the number one pick, drafted qb Jameis Winston.
Tennessee would have drafted Winston had Mariota gone number one overall in my opinion.
What happened after that was more Webster-like, spending a third round pick on offensive lineman Jeremiah Poutasi. Local and national pundits scoffed at the pick, especially a pick that high on a player projected to go in the 5th or 6th round..
Well, the pundits were right. Poutasi was a disaster at right tackle last season, and fared no better when the Titans moved him inside to play guard later in the year. By season’s end, Poutasi’s was a healthy scratch for Tennessee, even though the position was decimated by injuries.
Webster’s fourth round pick was even more confusing, taking Jalston Fowler…a fullback…that high. For their lofty investment, Fowler rewarded the Titans with less than ten carries, for less than two yards a carry last season.
One can only imagine what his role will be this year, if he has one, with bruising tailback Derrick Henry in now in the fold. A fourth round pick is a steep price to pay for a glorified special teams player, especially with so many other holes to fill.
Fowler could have been realistically drafted in the 6th or 7th round.
Next: New era in Tennessee