The Tennessee Titans clearly showed the entire NFL world their potential during the 2013 season. The team recorded an impressive start going 3-1, and they took advantage of the struggles of the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South division. Nonetheless, the team does need some upgrades in some positions in order to be able to record an even better record next season and challenge for a playoff spot. In assessing team, one must look to the draft needs for the Titans, focusing on defensive side of the ball and how can they fill some holes through the draft.
At cornerback, the Titans are lucky to have Alterraun Verner in their roster. He obviously has a lot of talent as he showcased during the season, but he will be a free agent. Tennessee’s priority will obviously be to retain Verner, as he is considered as a valuable piece going forward. But if things don’t work out and a deal can’t be reached, the Titans will have to look for a replacement through the draft or even through free-agency. On the other hand, if the team chooses not to rely on the draft to fill Verner’s void in favor of free agency, it could end up retaining Verner, as he has already proven that he is a good fit.
If the Titans try to find Verner’s replacement through the draft, there is lots of juice. There are two players that will be available and can be considered as solid picks in the long term. In fact, each could prove to be even better than Verner over time. Justin Gilbert is a very capable cornerback who would fit the Titans well. The 21-year old Bradley Roby is another and, judging from all the scouting reports up to now, he seems to be just the perfect fit for Tennessee at the moment – again, if the team doesn’t end up re-signing Verner.
Another position that should be upgraded is at linebacker. The Titans will most probably switch to a 3-4 scheme and they will definitely need the right pieces for such a trade to work. C.J. Mosley could be a very good pickup in the 2014 NFL Draft and, thanks to his athleticism and awareness, he could be a great fit for this position.
Finally, Tennessee will most probably need to acquire a pass-rusher. Of course, the team had a solid performance trying to defend quarterbacks last season. Still, if they choose not to go for Mosley, they could try to add a player like Anthony Barr, if he is still on the board at the time the Titans get to select their draft pick, 11th in overall. Trent Murphy or Dee Ford could be two valuable picks in the second round if Barr is not the one who ends up heading to Tennessee.
We can expect the Titans to be even better next season, especially if some key changes the team is about to make are done well.
Thank you for reading. Ron Leyba is the lead editor of FantasyFootballOverdose.Com, and a LastWordOnSports Analyst. For more of his NFL articles, follow his updates at NFL Fantasy Football Rankings Facebook page or follow him on twitter @ronniedare. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter –@LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
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