Titans WRs Justin Hunter and Kendall Wright react to Mariota pick

Two of the Tennessee Titans top wide receivers, Justin Hunter and Kendall Wright react to Marcus Mariota pick

The Tennessee Titans held the second overall pick in the NFL Draft this year, and two of their top receivers were caught on video when the Titans selection was announced. That selection was quarterback Marcus Mariota, and potentially the player that will be throwing them the ball for the foreseeable future.

So how did they react? Were they excited at the chance to catch balls from Mariota?

On the right is Kendall Hunter and on the left is Justin Hunter. When the pick is announced Hunter immediately sits down, grimaces, and turns away from the video screen. Hunter simply looks confused and disappointed. He shakes his head in disbelief. Of course, I don’t actually know what these two men are thinking, but their expressions do not reveal excitement or enthusiasm. They only elicit concern and disappointment.

So then the question is why?

To me there are three possible explanations for the reactions of these wide receivers. The first explanation is that they like what they have in quarterback Zach Mettenberger. He didn’t exactly light up the place in 2014, but he was a decent option for a rookie picked in the late rounds. He could be a solid player after he develops a bit. They may have developed chemistry over the 2014 season with him and they may believe that he is their best option going forward. Any change, barring something ridiculous like the acquisition of Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, would be disappointing to the two young men.

The second possible explanation is that they just don’t like what they’ve seen from Marcus Mariota. The former Oregon Duck ran a spread offense in college and quarterbacks that have found success in those systems in college have often not found success in the NFL. Mariota is an athletic quarterback that can run, they might prefer the more traditional pocket passer. Whatever the reason, they may simply not think that Mariota has the tools to succeed in the NFL.

The last possibility, which I think may be the most likely, is that they expected the team to perhaps flip the second overall for a greater haul, or that they would use the second overall to fill in positions of greater need than quarterback. They may have expected the Titans to take Leonard Williams, who would have helped an extremely poor Titans defense. Quarterback was not the biggest concern for the Titans last year and for them to use the second overall pick to take a quarterback, and probably not the best player available, would not doubt disappoint players currently on the roster looking for a chance at success.

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