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Tennessee Titans: Return of the MAC

By Will Lomas

Jan 15, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) is defended by Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Steven Nelson (20) during the AFC Divisional playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium. The Steelers defeated the Chiefs 18-16. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 15, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) is defended by Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Steven Nelson (20) during the AFC Divisional playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium. The Steelers defeated the Chiefs 18-16. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Is the MAC the safest conference the Tennessee Titans could have drafted from?

There is a narrative after this draft that the MAC isn’t a conference that develops good talent. However, has anyone actually looked and checked that statement?

While the Tennessee Titans weren’t exactly picking from a deep pool in the MAC when they took Corey Davis 5th overall, it isn’t like the MAC doesn’t produce great NFL talent, especially recently.

Over the past decade the players who have been absolutely dominant in the MAC have been taken in the first round, especially if they have great measurements too.

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Now, I am not saying that there haven’t been busts in the first round from the MAC, but every conference has those. Dante Fowler was supposed to be the best pass rusher in the country coming out of the SEC a few years ago. Fast forward just two years to today and he may not even be the Jacksonville Jaguars starter at end.

I don’t need to explain how many busts there are in the first round every year, but I can almost guarantee you that you can’t name all two of the 1st round “busts” from the MAC in the last decade.

To show you just what I mean when I say that the bust rate is no higher than the average conference, check out every MAC player drafted in the first round in the last decade:

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    • 2007: Joe Staley, OL

    -5x Pro Bowler

    -3x 2nd team All-Pro

    2009: Larry English, EDGE

    -Bust

    2011: Muhammed Wikerson, DL

    -Pro Bowl

    -2x 2nd-team All-Pro

    2012: Eric Fisher, OL

    -I’ll call him a bust even though he was good enough

    2014: Khalil Mack, EDGE

    -2x Pro Bowl

    -2x All-Pro

    2014: Jimmie Ward, DB

    -Was having a career year until being placed on injured reserve.

    2017: Corey Davis WR

    So, that is 3 players who reached some form of All-Pro recognition, 1 bust whose team has confidence in him, 1 bust with no redeeming qualities, and 1 too early to call.

    Other players from the MAC in that time:

    -T.J. Lang, OL

    -Julian Edelman, WR

    -Antonio Brown, WR

    The players who dominated the MAC enough to earn 1st round grades from NFL decision makers have been outstanding in half of the situations.

    The rest of the group has shown enough promise to suggest that they will end up being long time starters, and only one player has been a full bust.

    On top of that, the wide receivers in the MAC have been trending upward in the last decade with Corey Davis potentially joining Antonio Brown and Julian Edelman as prolific players from that conference.

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    I am not saying that you should value the depth in the MAC as much as you do the SEC, but the top end has been as consistent as anyone with as much upside.

    Knocking Corey Davis because he is from a small school could be dangerously short sighted thinking.

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