2016 NFL Draft: Tennessee Titans Team Needs

By Vincent Frank on Thursday, February 25th 2016
2016 NFL Draft: Tennessee Titans Team Needs

Last season saw the Tennessee Titans finish with the franchise's second-worst record of the past two decades. Unfortunately for the team, their worst record during this span came in 2014. Needless to say, there is a whole heck of a lot that needs to be fixed here. 

Good news first: Tennessee was able to acquire an understanding of just how good 2015 No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota is going to be in the NFL. The former Heisman winner completed a surprising 62.2 percent of his passes for 2,818 yards, 21 total touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. 

On the defensive side of the ball, the three-win Titans yielded the sixth-most points but found a way to finish just outside of the top-10 in yards allowed. 

Here's what the Titans need to do in the draft in order to overcome what has been a disastrous past two seasons. 

 

1. Running Back

It seems rather obvious that Bishop Sankey isn't the answer at running back. An intriguing player heading into the 2014 NFL Draft, Sankey is averaging just 3.7 yards per rush in his career. Tennessee soured on the former Washington standout as he saw just 47 attempts this past season. Meanwhile, the likes of Antonio Andrews and David Cobb averaged a combined 3.2 yards per attempt.

 

2. Offensive Line 

While it could have had to do with having a rookie under center, Titans quarterbacks were sacked a total of 54 times last season. Taylor Lewan struggled at left tackle while Byron Bell proved that he wasn't a starter in the NFL. In order for Mariota to progress as a quarterback in the NFL, he's going to need better protection upfront. The good news here is that Tennessee boasts a solid guard in Chance Warmack, meaning offensive tackle will be the position that's addressed. 

 

3. Free Safety

Thankfully for Titans fans, Michael Griffin was released this offseason after showing he was among the worst cover safeties in the entire NFL. Unfortunatley, Tennessee doesn't have anyone on the roster to replace him.  Marqueston Huff isn't a starter-caliber safety in the NFL. With the draft thin at this position, it's possible Tennessee will look to address this need in free agency. 

 

4. Cornerback

Tennessee may have yielded the seventh-fewest passing yards in the NFL last season, but that doesn't begin to tell the entire story. It yielded a 101.7 opposing quarterback rating with both Perrish Cox and Jason McCourty giving up 90-plus ratings themselves. Cox has the potential to be a starter here, but Tennessee will most definitely need some help at the other corner position. Unfortunately, the team lacks young talent to fill that hole internally. The  smart thing to do here would be to target a corner near the top of the draft. 

 

5. Wide Receiver

We have no idea whether Justin Hunter and Kendall Wright will be back next season. Both were absolutely dreadful in 2015, and seem to be falling out of favor in Tennessee. And while Dorial Green-Beckham boasts a ton of upside here, Mariota is going to need more than just him to have consistent success through the air. 

 

Mock Draft (based on players available on the Fanspeak Mock Draft simulator). 

Round Player Position College
1 Laremy Tunsil Offensive Tackle Mississippi
2 Ezekiel Elliott Running Back Ohio State
3 Josh Doctson Wide Receiver TCU
4 Daryl Worley Cornerback West Virginia
5 Sean Davis Safety Maryland
6 Jake McGee Tight End Florida
6 Wayne Lyons Cornerback Michigan
7 Jason Fanaika Defensive Line Utah

 

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