Tennessee Titans – 2015 Draft Tomorrow

The Tennessee Titans are on the eve of the 2015 Draft. For all purposes the Titans are on the clock with the second pick as nearly everyone agrees that Tampa Bay will select Florida State’s troubled quarterback Jameis Winston. I hope they do.

Three weeks ago I would have said no way that the Titans will select Marcus Mariota with the second pick. Now I am not so sure. I still think the wise choice is USC’s Leonard Williams. He is a “can’t miss” NFL star, and I am not so sure Mariota falls into that category.

But defensive lineman usually do not sell tickets, or generate excitement in a fan base. Sometimes I forget that these teams are run by business men, and their ultimate goal for success is fans in seats. So does Mariota put more fans in seats, or would Leonard Williams? A quarterback of course.

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It would be like the circus if you pick Mariota. You just have to go see it for yourself, or you don’t believe it. So fans will get excited over drafting a high profile quarterback like Mariota. Is he an NFL quarterback, or is he a gimmicky quarterback that was successful due to an outlandish uptempo offense at Oregon with track stars faster than everyone they played? I don’t know.

But if you listened yesterday to the press conference with Titans Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt and General Manager Ruston Webster, the Titans are set to take Mariota. They both talked about what a weak first round class this 2015 draft offers (this is actually true as only 16 players have been graded with a grade that would be worthy of drafting in the first round) and that the number two pick is the best position possible to get the franchise quarterback they need.

When asked if they would consider a trade they indicated they were open to all offers, but felt like moving back would be a detriment to getting an impact player like Winston or Mariota. They talked about Zach Mettenberger like he was destined to be a back up. They were not impressed with Zach, but liked him enough to start him last season.

I am sure this is all a smoke screen. They have probably gone to Mettenberger to let him know they have to say this stuff to make every other team think they are going to take Mariota. If those teams covet Mariota, then throw their chips on the table and lets deal. We know this strategy is in play.

Suffice it to say that this may be the most intriguing pick of recent drafts. Tennessee holds the key to how this draft will go. I for one can not wait to see what happens. They have to hit a home run with this spot.

So tomorrow morning I will have the number one best first round pick that the Titans have made since moving to Tennessee in 1997. But today we have the second best first round pick to show. It will be questioned I am sure. So to date we have the number four best first round pick as Michael Griffin. The number three best pick was a tie between Chris Johnson and Keith Bulluck. So here is the second best choice at number one as I see it…

Second Best First Round Choice Since Titans Moved To Tennessee

Albert Haynesworth – DT Tennessee

Albert Haynesworth was chosen by the Titans with the 15th pick in the 2002 NFL Draft. He was a dominant defensive lineman at the University of Tennessee, and the Titans needed a run stopper up front. Well, that is what they got.

They also got a player that became incredibly controversial. Haynesworth seemed to have an anger issue on the field. It came to a head quickly as he got into a scuffle with fellow Titan Center Justin Hartwig at camp and had to be held back by other Titan players that did not want it to escalate. He kicked Hartwig in the chest.

This behavior went on in games as well. Haynesworth was suspended after stomping on a Dallas Cowboy that caused a gash to be opened on his head that required 50 plus stitches. He was the NFL’s Ndamukong Suh before Ndamukong Suh. It was not what Haynesworth wanted to be remembered for.

But the reason he makes my list here is that from the time he went on the field in 2002 he became one of the best Defensive Tackles in the NFL. He was huge. He was quick, and he was strong. He “had” to be double teamed on every snap he was in the game. That was a huge plus for the linebackers and fellow defensive lineman playing alongside of him.

Haynesworth opened up space so his teammate’s could become better players. His bad actions withstanding, Haynesworth was the best defensive player on the field. Now if Albert would have had the motor of a Kyle Vanden Bosch or even a Karl Klug, he would have been a Hall of Famer. But he didn’t have that drive, or the work ethic. He got by on shear size and strength. And a little nastiness.

Haynesworth became a Pro Bowler as the league’s most dominant run stopper in 2007. He repeated in 2008. To show how valuable he was to the team in 2007 the team was 8-3 when he played, and 0-3 when he was injured. That was no coincidence.

So love him or dislike him for his bad behavior, Albert Haynesworth was one of the best defensive lineman in the league while he played for the Titans. He made millions leaving the Titans and going to Washington where he was a huge failure for the Redskins. But that wasn’t the Titans problem, or concern. He was dominant as a Titan.