NFL Draft Grades: Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans 2008 Draft Picks:

Round 1 (24): Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina
Round 2 (54): Jason Jones, DE, Eastern Michigan
Round 3 (85): Craig Stevens, TE, California
Round 4 (103): William Hayes, DE, Western Michigan
Round 4 (126): Lavelle Hawkins, WR, California
Round 4 (134): Stanford Keglar, OLB, Stanford
Round 7 (229): Cary Williams, CB, Washburn

The Good: Jones is a solid value pick in the second-round who should provide depth at both defensive tackle and defensive end, helping to ensure that Albert Haynesworth and Jevon Kearse stay fresh. Tennessee may have a ton of tight ends (Alge Crumpler and Bo Scaife), but Stevens immediately becomes their best blocking tight end. Johnson was the fastest player in the draft and should make an immediate impact as a return man and third-down back who can catch the ball out of the backfield.


The Bad: The Titans can try to put a nice pretty bow on it, but taking Johnson in the first round is an indictment of the team's recent drafting. Tennessee spent second rounders on Lendale White (in 2006) and Chris Henry (in 2007). By taking Johnson, the Titans made it clear that they are still looking for that missing piece in the running game. It's also debatable whether it makes sense to take a running back who's likely a part-time player with a first-round pick. There are serious questions about whether Johnson is big enough to be a 25-carry-a-game guy. The Titans must believe they know something about fourth-rounder William Hayes, a raw defensive end who was projected to go later. They liked him so much the spent their fifth-round pick in a trade to move up to nab him. And in a draft with a ton of wide receivers on the board in the first two rounds, Tennessee waited until the fourth-round to try to help fill the team's most glaring need. It has to count on last year's picks (Paul Williams and Chris Davis) stepping up to fill big holes at receiver.

The Grade: C-. Johnson looked like a great second-round pick for someone heading into the draft, but to take him in the first round when the Titans could have either taken their pick of wide receivers or defensive ends seems like an expensive luxury. The Titans are also rolling the dice with Hayes. Last year only Michael Griffin made a significant impact from the Titans 2007 draft class, Tennessee will have to do better than that in 2008.