'08
Draft Review:
Round
1 (#24): RB Chris Johnson, East Carolina
This pick was one of the most questionable decisions by any front office in
this entire draft, at least in the humble opinion of this writer. During the
offseason the Titans brought back Mike Heimerdinger to run the offense and to
mentor young quarterback Vince Young and you would have thought that their main
priority would have been to get Vince a #1 receiver to throw to. In 07, his
leading target was Justin Gage – hardly the definition of a go-to-guy. With
every single WR still on the board, the Titans could have had their pick of the
crop, but no, they chose instead to add to their backfield by reaching for a
speedster. I can see why they like him – the 4.3 speed and home run ability he
brings are important, but he graded out as a second round pick and is unlikely
to be more than a complimentary back in the NFL due to his size.
Pick grade: C-
Round 2 (#54): DE Jason Jones, Eastern Michigan
Picking Jones here in the second felt like another reach, especially when you
consider his inconsistent play in 2007. At least in this case the Titans were
addressing an area of need after losing Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy as free
agents, unlike with their previous pick. Jones is another guy with exceptional
measurables though his college production leaves a little to be desired – he
registered only 14 sacks in 45 starts, which is less than one every three
starts. That sort of production will not be enough at NFL level and he will
need to work at beating his man and getting to the quarterback. At least with
Kyle VandenBosch and Albert Haynesworth on the same line he should get a lot of
one-on-one opportunities.
Pick grade: C+
Round 3 (#85): TE Craig Stevens, California
After bringing in Alge Crumpler in the offseason, tight end wasn’t seen as one
of the Titans biggest needs but at least they went for a totally different type
of player by drafting Craig Stevens. Stevens was the consensus #1 blocking
tight end in this draft whereas Crumpler is predominantly a glorified receiver.
Again, this feels a little high for Stevens to be going, but this pick
certainly isn’t as bad as their first and second round picks. Indeed, if they
intend to run the football a lot in 2008 to take the pressure off Young then
Stevens will likely play an important role as a rookie, creating holes for
LenDale White and Chris Johnson to run through.
Pick grade: B
Round 4 (#103): DE William Hayes, Winston Salem State
This pick was possibly more obscure than if they’d picked the King of Obscurity
who had graduated with a degree in obscurity from Obscure University in
Obscureville. Honestly, did anyone apart from the Titans have him even close to
the top of their board at this point? Anyone even have him close to the top of
their defensive end rankings at this point? He may have got 8.5 sacks as a
senior but with his injury history (he tore his ACL in 2005) and lack of
production in other years at college you just have to wonder how on earth he
ended up being drafted at all.
Pick grade: D-
Round 4 (#126): WR Lavelle Hawkins, California
At last a good value pick for the Titans. Hawkins was the leading receiver for
the Bears in 2007, outgaining his more illustrious team mate DeSean Jackson –
though that was mainly due to teams rolling extra coverage over to Jackson’s
side. Hawkins has neither great size nor speed but he isn’t afraid to go over
the middle, take a hit or two and still come up with the ball. He runs his
routes well and will make a nice slot receiver at NFL level.
Pick grade: A-
Round 4 (#134): LB Stanford Keglar, Purdue
Keglar was one of the players who absolutely lit up the Combine – he ran the
fastest 40 among all linebackers, ran the short shuttle in under 4 seconds and
ended up gaining an impressive 73.5 on the Kirwan Explosiveness Index. He was a
three year starter at Purdue and will almost certainly become a special teams
standout for the Titans. He could also develop into a serviceable starter at
outside linebacker for the team and represents good value at this point for the
Titans.
Pick grade: B+
Round 7(#229): CB Cary Williams, Washburn
At this point in the draft teams are never sure if the player they pick is even
going to make the team at their drafted position, so they instead look for guys
who could contribute on special teams, something Cary Williams is more than
used to doing. He may not be the most polished corner, but if he sticks he will
provide some extra depth in the secondary for the Titans.
Pick grade: C
Overall, this draft makes me wonder just what tape the Titans front office has
really been watching. They reached early on in the draft with their most
important picks – the guys you want playing an important part on your team for
years to come and didn’t really impress this writer with the way they failed to
address their biggest need for a #1 wideout. I do not know who Vince Young is
going to throw to in 2008 and with the guys they lost in free agency I find it
hard to believe they will perform as well this year as they did in 2007.
Final grade: C-
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2008 Draft Review
Official Tennessee Titans Website