First off let me start by saying that I do not believe that the Tennessee Titans are intentionally losing games in any aspect. That being said, I do believe that the Titans are looking at a top 5 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft after dropping another game in the “L” column, this time in the form of a 21-7 loss to the Ravens. So let’s take a look forward to the future of the team.
The Titans biggest area of concern is their roster. No disrespect to anyone in particular but fact is, they do not appear to have the same level of talent as the top teams in the NFL, or even upstart teams like the Browns, Bills, or Dolphins. Luckily for them, the Titans seem to be in line for the #4 pick in the upcoming draft. After investing multiple early picks in their offensive line recently, that spot should give them the opportunity to draft a difference maker like Todd Gurley, Amari Cooper,Melvin Gordon, or Jaelan Strong, or their choice of quarterbacks. Unfortunately for them the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look like they will be in the QB market as well so with only 1 win on the season, the Bucs are the favorites to land current top QB prospect Marcus Mariota(because the other 2 worst teams in the NFL got their “QB of the future” last year with the Jaguars taking Blake Bortles and the Raiders taking Derek Carr). Zach Mettenberger’s play of make the choice easier for the team, positively or negatively for him. Looking at the Titans depth chart there’s not a position that you see as a huge weakness that doesn’t have a young guy there that you may want to see how they work out. Mettenberger, running back Bishop Sankey and a group of young wide outs have a ton of talent but for some reason it’s not clicking.
So maybe the presence of young guys with potential forces the Titans to go defense, which wouldn’t be such a bad idea with players like Leonard Williams from USC, Randy Gregory from Nebraska, Shane Ray from Missouri, and Landon Collins from Alabama who all look like instant game changers. The Titans are currently 22nd in yards allowed and 24th in points allowed. They are 9th in sacks and 14th in interceptions. The issue is the run defense where they are ranked 30th. So a guy like Williams or Gregory seems like the best fit as DL/LB combos who can play the run and rush the passer. While a defensive lineman isn’t the sexiest pick, it might just be the position of need for the 2 tone blue. Another factor into picking a front 7 player is outside of Collins, there is a significant lack of truly elite DB’s in this years projected draft class. Of course all of this could be a moot point if the Titans play their way out of a top pick. And while the biggest need could be on the defensive side of the ball, personally, if I’m the Titans and Mariota is available, I’m taking the Duck.
