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
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 Projection: 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 Projection: 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 Projection: 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 Projection: Fifth Round to Sixth Round
CFN Position Rank:20
35
134
4th RoundStanford
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
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 Projection: Free Agent CFN
Position Rank: NR