Tennessee Titans - AFC South

Tennessee Titans - AFC South, 2008 Draft Selections & Prospects

Tennessee Titans

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 yards; 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 Projection: Late Second Round to Early Third Round    CFN Position Rank: 8

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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 Projection: Late Third Round to Early Fourth Round       CFN Position Rank: 10 (as a DE)

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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 Projection: Third Round  CFN Position Rank: 6

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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 Projection: Free Agent  CFN Position Rank: NR

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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 Projection: Fifth Round to Sixth Round    CFN Position Rank: 20

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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 Projection: Fourth Round    CFN Position Rank: 18

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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 Projection: Free Agent   CFN Position Rank: NR