5 NFL teams that must have an excellent draft
By Andrew Garda
The Tennessee Titans seem stuck in perpetual rebuild and that has to change. They got a little bit of help in free agency when they added Brian Orakpo, Perrish Cox and Da’Norris Searcy and tried hard last offseason to improve the offensive line to limited success.
Still, while they haven’t all been hits, free agency has been successful overall.
Now it’s time to start hitting on the draft picks they make. Taylor Lewan was solid at tackle as a rookie, while Zach Mettenberger showed flashes when he took over starting quarterback duties as well. Running back Bishop Sankey was uninspiring his first year, but fifth round pick Avery Williamson was solid at inside linebacker. The jury is still out on Marqueston Huff and DaQuan Jones.
It’s not a bad draft class, though there was no ‘home run’ either.
With the second pick of the draft, the Titans have a huge decision. Do they take whichever quarterback is there (more than likely Marcus Mariota than Jameis Winston, though either one is possible), do they trade back or do they grab help for another position?
It’s a tough choice and more than anything else, has to be made with the knowledge that no one player is going to change the fortunes of this team completely. Are they better off with Mariota when he needs some time to sand off the rough edges of his game? Or do they get more help on defense and hope Mettenberger can continue to improve? Is the second pick overall too early to grab the top receiver? If they trade back, do they risk missing out on the player they want?
The Indianapolis Colts seem to have stopped relying on Andrew Luck to carry them and instead are adding talent around him. The Jacksonville Jaguars have improved this offseason. The Houston Texans are really a quarterback away from contention, and it’s possible they may not even be that far away.
Tennessee needs to make some significant improvement this year or they will be left behind in an increasingly competitive division. They have to continue adding talent and can ill-afford missing in the upcoming draft.
Next: Chicago Bears