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Sunday, April 25, 2010

Meet the new guys: Introducting the Tennessee Titans' draft class of 2010.

The most exciting three days of any sports' off-season is over and now die-hard fans are currently YouTube'ing highlights of their teams' draft picks. With needs on the defensive line, defensive back, receiver and returner, I came out of the 2010 NFL Draft very satisfied with our selections. I feel that most of the new guys can come in and contribute to the team right away; which is always nice on a team that is just a few pieces away from making a deep playoff run.

Below are the newest Tennessee Titans and a little description about them.

Round 1, 16th overall - Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech (6'3", 266)
The Titans should be thrilled that the top defensive end prospect in the 2010 NFL Draft class fell to 16 after fellow position prospects Brandon Graham and Jason Pierre-Paul were picked ahead of him at 13 (Eagles) and 15 (Giants). Morgan has a very quick first step, good pass rush moves, great motor and an underrated run stopping ability. He should find time right away in the defensive line rotation and might even start.

Round 3, 77th overall - Damian Williams, WR, USC (6'1", 197)
The Titans add depth at the receiver position and possibly find their #2 guy in Damian Williams. The former Arkansas and USC wide-out possesses excellent hands, good route-running ability and the knack to break a big play on a punt return. Just an overall solid player who should contribute his rookie season and end up finding a spot right beside Kenny Britt on the offensive depth chart in the future.

Round 3, 97th overall - Rennie Curran, LB, Georgia (5'11", 235)
The Titans use their compensatory pick they received from the Albert Haynesworth signing on a small linebacker who possesses a lot of tools. Rennie Curran is another guy who should contribute some way his rookie season with his grittiness and toughness. He was very productive at Georgia but lacks some speed, making him a possible liability in coverage.


Round 4, 104th overall - Alterraun Verner, CB, UCLA (5'10", 189)
Trading LenDale White and Kevin Vickerson in order to move up in this round and in the sixth, Alterraun Verner is the selection with other higher-rated cornerbacks still on the board. He's a smaller corner with excellent ball skills and is just a great athlete in general. With the #2 slot opposite Cortland Finnegan up for grabs, look for Verner to compete for that job and at least prove himself as a nickel or dime corner this season.

Round 5, 148th overall - Robert Johnson, S, Utah (6'2", 200)
Don't know much about Johnson, but he did intercept six passes and returned one for a touchdown last year. He'll add needed depth at safety and could win a roster spot over long-time veteran Donnie Nickey.

Round 6, 176th overall - Rusty Smith, QB, Florida Atlantic (6'5", 230)
With Dan LeFevour still on the board at this point, I was pretty upset that we chose All-Sun Belt product Rusty Smith instead of the Central Michigan quarterback. Smith is a big guy with a strong arm and will compete for the #3 spot with Chris Simms and Kerry Collins.

Round 6, 207th overall - Myron Rolle, S, Florida State (6'2", 215)
Rolle is a steal at the end of the sixth round. Before leaving college football to study at Oxford in 2009, Rolle was looked at as a second or third round prospect. He was a top five recruit coming out of high school and is obviously a very intelligent player. The safety from Florida State possesses great size, strength, and instincts, but his burst and quickness is lacking. He should find a roster spot and could be groomed behind Chris Hope to be the future starting strong safety.

Round 7, 222nd overall - Marc Mariani, WR, Montana (6', 185)
Trying to address their problems in the return game, the Titans take Marc Mariani out of Montana, continuing their tradition of taking a receiver late in the draft. He'll get every opportunity to win the kick and punt returning job in training camp and if not, he'll most likely find himself on the practice squad.

Round 7, 241st overall - David Howard, DT, Brown (6'3", 298)
Very raw, David Howard will give Jim Washburn a nice project for a few years. He is very strong - 39 reps in the bench press at his pro day - and has a lot of upside to him. With Vickerson being traded, he should make the roster or at least the practice squad.

Undrafted Free Agent - Stafon Johnson, HB, USC (5'11", 215)
Although not drafted, Johnson is another steal for Tennessee. Before the weight-lifting incident, the USC runningback was projected to be a mid-round pick and despite performing well in Senior Bowl practices, he was not drafted and was quickly picked up by the Titans. He has good vision and burst and with White out of the picture, Johnson can find himself on the Titans regular season roster.

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