Ranking Tennessee Titans First Round Picks of the 21st Century

15. QB Jake Locker, 8th overall pick in 2011 NFL Draft

Unfortunately, the Tennessee Titans have more than a few contenders for the worst first round draft pick of the 21st century. However, someone had to earn the designation of biggest bust, and I selected Jake Locker for this less than desirable title. Prior to the 2011 NFL Draft, Dan Kadar of SB Nation summed Locker up perfectly as a prospect when he said,

"When you look at Locker as a whole, he smacks of a boom or bust prospect. His deficiencies – accuracy, field vision and pocket presence – are the same as quarterbacks who often bust. But it’s impossible to ignore his athleticism, arm strength, toughness and potential to improve more under Sarkisian."

Locker’s superior physical traits were enough to convince the Titans to draft him with the 8th overall pick in the 2011 draft. Unfortunately, Locker was never able to overcome his accuracy and pocket presence issues from college. Locker’s durability also proved a huge issue throughout his four year career as he suffered a shoulder, hip, and foot injury in the span of two years. Locker was never able to play a full16 game season. In his last year with the Titans, he was benched in favor of rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger. Locker retired following the 2014 season since he “no longer have the burning desire necessary to play the game for a living”.

Locker will forever be remembered by Titans fans for what could have been. Locker’s 5,000 career yards and 27 to 22 touchdown to interception ratio surely was not what the Titans were hoping for when they drafted Locker 8th overall. When a top prospect is out of the league in only 4 years, something has gone very wrong.