2014 Tennessee Titans Draft Report
The Tennessee Titan’s had a clear agenda heading into the 2014 NFL Draft. They only drafted six players, however, each of these players will be a key piece in helping the team for this upcoming season. They successfully replaced former running back Chris Johnson, helped bolster their offensive line to add much needed protection for Jake Locker, and finally added depth to their defense.
2014 Tennessee Titans Draft Picks:
1st Round, 11th Overall – Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
2nd Round, 54th Overall – Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington
4th Round, 112th Overall –Daquan Jones, DT, Penn State
4th Round, 122nd Overall – Marqueston Huff, CB, Wyoming
5th Round, 151st Overall – Avery Williamson, ILB, Kentucky
6th Round, 178th Overall – Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU
2014 Titans Draft Grade: 7.5/10
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2014 Titans Draft Report:
The Best Player: Bishop Sankey was the best player drafted by the Titans. He is a quick, explosive and durable running back out of Washington. Sankey fills the void left by the departure of Chris Johnson during this past offseason. Bishop is a natural football player, who is better than the sum of his parts. He possesses excellent vision while quickly identifying the holes in the defense and then shows good bursts of speed up to and through the line of scrimmage. He possesses good lateral agility, including an impressive jump-cut to elude defenders in tight spaces.
Sankey was recognized by the University of Washington coaching staff as a leader and was voted team captain in his junior year. He is the versatile back that the Titans needed and will be able to help in pass protection as well as be the “go to” receiver that was lacking in Chris Johnson. Sankey was an excellent pick for the Titans and look for him to have a huge impact, leading the team in touches and getting the job done with his quickness rather than his size.
Best Value Pick: Daquan Jones was the best value pick in the Titans draft. Leading up to the draft, Jones, out of Penn State, was projected to be a mid-to-late second round pick. For the Titans to be able to pick him up in the fourth round makes him my best value. Jones is a rare athlete for his size, standing 6’4” and weighing in at 322 lbs, and he will more than likely be a rotation player right away and could be a longtime starter for the Titans organization.
His biggest problem is inconsistency; however that does not overshadow the big picture. He has all the tools to make an impact for the Titans. Jones emerged as a force in his senior season with Penn State racking up 56 tackles and 11.5 TFLs. He was very dominant and took home first-team All-Big Ten honors, turning his physical ability into top-level production. Jones will be a great addition to the Titans defense because of his 3-4 style scheme in which the Titans will be running this season. This young man has plenty of upside and is versatile enough to play anywhere on that defensive line. Look out for Daquan Jones to help put heat on quarterbacks and make big plays as he will help make what was a good defensive line into what will now be a great D-line.
Surprise Pick: Taylor Lewan is my surprise pick of the draft for the Titans. Lewan, an OT out of Michigan was drafted in the first round. Don’t get me wrong, Lewan was the best available player on the board when it came time for the Titans pick, however, they could have waited to fill their need with a tackle. The team has veteran offensive tackle Michael Roos, who is coming up on the final year of his contract and is aging, but is still very effective. The also have the recently signed Michael Oher, who was picked up in free agency to replace the departed David Stewart.
In other words, the offensive line tackle spot for the Titans seemed to be in really good shape for this upcoming season, so the pick of Lewan came as a surprise to me. That said, Lewan has all of the upside to be a cornerstone in this Titans offensive line in years to come, though he will be competing with veteran players for playing time.
Head Scratcher: None. There was not a single pick out of the six players drafted, that was a head-scratching pick. Each of the Titans picks appears to have brought the appropriate value or was a steal.
The Steal: Zach Mettenberger, QB from LSU, was the steal of the draft. With current starting quarterback Jake Locker, coming off a torn ACL (Jake Locker SIA Profile), drafting a quarterback in the sixth round with the talent Mettenberger has was a steal. Zach was coming off an ACL injury (SIA Profile), and this prevented him from working out with NFL teams. He also had a back condition called spondylosis (most often, the term spondylosis is used to describe osteoarthritis of the spine, but it is also commonly used to describe any manner of spinal degeneration) that had teams worried.
Because of this condition, many teams overlooked his true, natural talent. Mettenberger has one of the best arms in the draft and is a traditional drop-back passer with a lot of under-center snaps and impressive NFL throws. Zach will fit what Ken Whisenhunt’s quarterbacks like to do and he has the potential to be a very good pivot in the NFL if he can stay healthy. Overall, great 6th round pick by the Titans.
Most Likely to Make an Impact in 2014: Two players that I believe will make a big impact in the 2014 season are Bishop Sankey and Daquan Jones. Sankey will help fill the void for running back Chris Johnson who went to the Jets during this past offseason and, with his solid ground game, will alleviate some of the pressure off of Jake Locker and allow the Titans to have a more balanced offense. Bishop’s versatility as a receiver and running back out of the backfield will play to the Titans advantage as he will be a force to be reckoned with in the AFC South. Jones is my other pick to make an impact in the 2014 season. Jones’ ability to play numerous positions on the defensive end combined with his skill to pressure the quarterback and play in his scheme of a 3-4 defense are a few of many reasons to look for him to make an impact in this upcoming season.
Most Likely to Turn Heads in Camp: Cornerback Marqueston Huff is that player. The Titans organization has continued to address their defense after drafting Huff with the extra fourth-round pick they obtained from the Eagles. Huff is a speedy corner who started at the University of Wyoming for three straight years. Huff offers the Titans some flexibility in the secondary as a safety as well as a cornerback.
The Titans are getting a versatile player for the secondary that should have an immediately impact on special teams. He wasn’t the sexiest pick for the Titans as they could of gotten a corner in the 5th round who has similar abilities to Huff, however, he is a guy who has potential if given the proper coaching to see some playing time in the 2014 season.
Bottom Line: The Tennessee Titans overall had a good draft. They had clearly had a solid game plan and with all six picks seemed to execute nicely. The Titans addressed multiple needs in this draft by adding a very effective running back in Bishop Sankey to help fill the void for Chris Johnson. They helped add depth to their defensive by adding versatile big bodied Daquan Jones and Marqueston Huff.
They helped grab a solid backup quarterback, Zack Mettenberger, in the sixth round whose talent was overshadowed by injuries. The Titans also bolstered their offensive line by adding Taylor Lewan, who maybe not this upcoming year, but in my opinion, will be a big part in the Titans offensive line in years to come.
All in all, the Titans will be a competitive team in the AFC South, watch out for the Titans as a sleeper team to make the playoffs in this upcoming season.
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