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Tennessee Titans - AFC South

Rutgers WR Kenny Britt

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CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Apr 27, 2009

Tennessee Titans - AFC South, 2009 Draft Selections & Prospects

Tennessee Titans

#	Pick
30	30	1st Round Kenny Britt, WR Rutgers 6-4, 215 (Jr.) There are two questions: speed and character. Everything else is there. He produced even though he was the target of every defense, QB Mike Teel wasn’t always great, and Ray Rice and the running game dominated the offense until last year. Extremely strong, he’ll beat up defensive backs fighting for the ball and as a blocker. While he doesn’t have top-end speed, he’s a better deep threat than he probably could be. He’s a fighter, and not just on the field. He might rub coaches the wrong way and he could check out if he’s not a No. 1 option. However, he could be a No. 1 option. If he can harness his energy and be focused full-time, he has Pro Bowl potential. *CFN Value Rank:* Second Round CFN Position Rank:* 8*
30	62	2nd Round Sen’Derrick Marks, DT Auburn 6-1, 305 (Jr.) Extremely quick and extremely active, he was an undersized defensive tackle at times and a huge defensive end at others. A red-hot prospect after his sophomore year, he was considered a possible top ten talent. But his junior year was a major disappointment as he struggled with the stronger offensive linemen, along with ankle problems, and didn’t improve as a pass rusher. Even so, he could be an ideal 3-4 end if he can get healthy and could be a major steal. He needs to get stronger and he needs to show he can hold up when he’s getting blasted, but he has the athleticism that can’t be coached. *CFN Value Rank:* Third Round CFN Position Rank: 8
25	89	3rd Round (from New England) Jared Cook, TE South Carolina 6-5, 245 (Jr.) On pure athleticism, he’s the best all-around tight end in the draft and it’s not even close. He was the eye-opening tight end star at the Combine jumping out of the stadium and blazing off a 4.49 in the 40. However, he hasn’t been able to translate his size, athleticism, and length into a consistent receiver. There were stretches when he dominated, but he disappeared. Put it this way; he was a superior gifted tight end for Steve Spurrier and he was just marginally productive. *CFN Value Rank:* Second Round CFN Position Rank: 3
30	94	3rd Round Ryan Mouton, CB Hawaii 5-9, 185 A terrific all-around athlete who had some wow at the Combine by leaping out of the stadium and showing excellent strength on the bench with 18 reps. He moves well and is a tough, willing tackler who isn't afraid to mix it up. His problem is his size. He's a small defender who plays bigger than expected and is a good, sound football player. The deficiencies are just enough to keep him from being a top starter. *CFN Value Rank:* Free Agent CFN Position Rank: 28
30	130	4th Round Gerald McRath, LB Southern Miss 6-3, 230 (Jr.) Very fast and very productive, he tore off a 4.49 at the Combine, best among the linebackers, and was lightning quick. However, his 19 reps on the bench showed his big problem: strength. He has a big problem taking on blockers and will have a real problem holding up in the middle. With his size and quickness he’ll likely end up as an outside defender, but he’ll show great range if he stays on the inside. Is he durable enough to last a full season? He doesn’t have the size or the toughness to take much of a pounding, but he’ll come up with some big stats when he gets on the field. *CFN Value Rank:* Fourth Round CFN Position Rank: 6
35	135	4th Round Troy Kropog, OT Tulane 6-5, 309 A finesse blocker, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In a draft that lacks a slew of athletic tackles, Kropog can move and can handle NFL speed rushers. What he can’t do is pound away in a power running game. He’ll work to make himself better and will step up in the weight room to add more bulk and get stronger. The talent isn’t there to be a Pro Bowl star, but he’ll be a very nice piece to a puzzle if he’s not asked to beat people up. *CFN Value Rank:* Third Round CFN Position Rank: 9
37	173	5th Round Javon Ringer, RB Michigan State 5-9, 205 There were major questions about his durability and potential going into last year, and then he handle the ball a ridiculous 418 times. Not all that big, he made himself strong enough to handle the load by living in the weight room. Very tough, very competitive, and a good character prospect, he’ll do whatever a team asks of him and he won’t pout if he gets pigeonholed into a specialist role from time to time. It would be nice if he was faster considering his lack of size, but he does enough in short bursts to keep the chains moving. Not a creative runner, he’ll need a good line and a good scheme to be productive, but even with all the negatives, he’s the type of player every coach wants. *CFN Value Rank:* Third Round CFN Position Rank: 7
33	206	6th Round Dominique Edison, WR Stephen F. Austin 6-2, 205 With 4.42 speed he has the home-run hitting ability to stretch the field and be a difference maker. A good leader, he works hard, was a captain of his team, and will do what's needed to produce. Not all that quick, as opposed to fast, he's a one-route runner who needs time to develop more moves and better his technique. *CFN Value Rank:* Free Agent CFN Position Rank: NR
30	203	6th Round Jason McCourty, CB Rutgers 5-11, 195 A good athlete and a good leader, he moves well on short to midrange routes and is physical when he needs to be. Without the NFL speed to be a regular at corner, and without the hitting ability to be a safety, he'll have to carve out a role as a nickel or dime defender. However, he's not great when the ball is in the air and will have to prove early on in a camp that he can be a ball-hawk. *CFN Value Rank:* Free Agent CFN Position Rank:* NR*
30	239	7th Round Ryan Durand, OG Syracuse 6-4, 300 A pure blocker who's strong in close spaces and a tough lunchpail sort of player. He'll always work and he'll always give maximum effort, but he's not much of an athlete and won't do much on the move. He won't protect a quarterback against anyone with the slightest hint of speed and could be used as a specialist on special teams and short yardage packages. *CFN Value Rank:* Seventh Round CFN Position Rank: 21
33	242	7th Round Nick Schommer, FS North Dakota State 6-0, 197 A tough, gutty tackler who made 54 stops and led the team with three interceptions. He has a nice blend of speed, quickness, and athleticism, but he's purely a special teamer. Not a returner, he'll sacrifice himself to make any sort of play needed on hustle. He could show surprising range in camp and be a tough late cut. *CFN Value Rank:* Free Agent CFN Position Rank: NR

2008

The Draft Was ... Interesting. The Titans are always enamored with the freak measurable guy (like RB Chris Henry last year), and that's certainly speedster Chris Johnson. There wasn't enough done to add to the receiving corps. Taking Lavelle Hawkins in the fourth round isn't getting Vince Young a major weapon.
Best Value Pick: Chris Johnson, RB East Carolina. 1st round. While he's limited in what he can do, getting him right after Felix Jones and Rashard Mendenhall were taken was a decent pick for a team in needs of a skill position upgrade. Now there are plenty of weapons to run the ball.
Biggest Reach: William Hayes, DE Winston-Salem. 4th round. Know the room. Hayes isn't a fourth round pick, and even if he was Tennessee's guy, missing out on him wouldn't have been a loss. He was worth a sixth round flier at best.
They Should've ... Gotten Vince some protection. Not only did he need an upgrade in the receiving corps, and didn't get it, but he also needed some more O line help. The Titans had plenty of chances, especially early in the fourth round when they took Hayes over several good O linemen (five went off the board in the next ten picks), and didn't address the problem.

#
Pick

24 24 1st Round     Chris Johnson, RB East Carolina
4.24. For some reason, while everyone was oohing and ahhing over Darren McFadden's workout, along with the size/speed dynamic of Rashard Mendenhall and Jonathan Stewart, and rightly so, Johnson ripped off a 4.29 in 40 at the Combine. One of the best all-around backs in America last year rushing for 1,423 yards and 17 touchdowns, catching 37 passes for 528 yards and six touchdowns, and returning 1,009 yards worth of kicks, he can do it all. However, he was held to 29 yards and a touchdown on ten carries against Virginia Tech and ran for 76 yards and a score on 14 carries against West Virginia. The biggest problem is his size at around 5-10 and under 200 pounds; he's not built like an every-down runner. However, he's a dream of a third down back who'll have to be a complementary back.
CFN Value Rank: Late Second Round to Early Third Round CFN Position Rank: 8

23 54 2nd Round   Jason Jones, DE/DT Eastern Michigan
An interesting prospect who could pay off big with a little time, Jones was a quick, undersized tackle at EMU who was great at getting into the backfield. He's actually more of an oversized end at 6-5 and 275 pounds with excellent speed and versatility. If he wants it and will work for it, he'll have the chance to grow into a steady starter.
CFN Value Rank: Late Third Round to Early Fourth Round       CFN Position Rank: 10 (as a DE)

22 85 3rd Round    Craig Stevens, TE California
One of the high-risers on everyone's board after running better than expected in workouts, Stevens is one of the better blockers among the top tight end prospects and is one of the safest bets. However, he doesn't have a world of upside like a Martellus Bennett or a Dustin Keller and he's not going to be a dominant receiver. He'll be a good one, but his worth is as an all-around player.
CFN Value Rank: Third Round CFN Position Rank: 6

4 103 4th Round (from Kansas City) William Hayes, DE Winston-Salem
Where's he going to play? "Big Play" is a mix of linebacker and end, but he's not an NFL player and he's going to be a major-league reach. Not even on the list of players the NFL thinks can be drafted, he's a pure speed rusher who'll need a lot of development. A lot. A measurables guy, he has the size and the quickness, but he's a free agent at best.
CFN Value Rank: Free Agent CFN Position Rank: NR

27 126 4th Round (from trade)   Lavelle Hawkins, WR California
He needed to time off the charts, and he barely ran under 4.6. He picked up the slack at times when DeSean Jackson was underachieving, but he was most effective as a number two target in the slot. He's not a good enough athlete, and he's not big enough, to be a regular, but he could stick as a kick returner and a fourth receiving option.
CFN Value Rank: Fifth Round to Sixth Round   CFN Position Rank: 20

35 134 4th Round Stanford Keglar, OLB Purdue
A hard-working hitter with nice size and surprising speed, he's a good all-around linebacker who could be a nice backup in just about any system. He upped his stock in a huge way with some great off-season workouts and showing off better athleticism than expected at the Combine. He's smart, will work his tail off, and will do whatever is needed. He'll stick around the league for a long time and could grow into a starter.
CFN Value Rank: Fourth Round    CFN Position Rank: 18

22 229 7th Round Cary Williams, CB Washburn
A good producer at the D-II level, Williams has good 6-1, 185-pound size and the return ability to be versatile enough to be a jack-of-all-trades. He's not elite fast and he had a slew of issues when it came time to go to school and ended up transferring from Fordham to Washburn. He could be a steal if character issues aren't a problem.
CFN Value Rank: Free Agent   CFN Position Rank: NR

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