What Should Tennessee Titans Do With 2nd Overall Pick?

The Tennessee Titans have some serious decision making to do leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft. The team saw a major regression under first year coach Ken Whisenhunt as they posted an atrocious 2-14 record in 2014 after going 7-9 in 2013.

With the second overall pick in the draft, they have a chance to add an impact player to their roster who can help them for years to come. The Titans finished 27th in total defense giving up a staggering 373 yards per game. There is no doubt that they could use help on the defensive side of the ball. However, the Titans should still be in the market for a franchise quarterback as sixth-round rookie Zach Mettenberger showed very little hope for the future in his six starts in which the Titans went 0-6.

The Titans really only have two options for the second pick in the 2015 NFL Draft: draft whichever quarterback Tampa Bay doesn’t take, or draft Leonard Williams or Randy Gregory to upgrade their defense.

Option 1: Drafting a quarterback

According to a report from Walterfootball.com, the Tennessee Titans are considering drafting a quarterback with their second pick in the draft. The Buccaneers are almost a lock to pick a quarterback with the first pick in the draft, most likely Florida State product Jameis Winston.

If Marcus Mariota is on the board when the Titans pick, they should seriously consider adding him to their roster. Some scouts are beginning to think that he may not be good as advertised and that Oregon’s system hides some of his flaws and weaknesses. However, there is no denying the fact that Mariota has more upside than Zach Mettenberger. The Titans are going to need a franchise signal-caller if they’re going to stay competitive with Andrew Luck’s Indianapolis Colts over the next decade for the AFC South crown.

In today’s NFL, the need for a franchise quarterback is paramount to sustained success. The Titans can look in their own division to see what happens when you have a talented defensive player with no real difference maker at quarterback.

The Houston Texans have undoubtedly the best defensive player in the game today in All-World defensive lineman J.J. Watt. As utterly dominant as he was in 2014, the Texans missed out on the playoffs because they simply didn’t have a quarterback in place that could lead them to the playoffs, and beat Andrew Luck when it mattered most.

The Titans can’t fall into the limbo the Texans are currently, but that shouldn’t completely eliminate them from taking a defensive player with the second pick in the draft.

Option 2: Drafting Leonard Williams or Randy Gregory

Tennessee has a huge need on the defensive side of the ball as well. They fielded one of the worst defenses in football and could use upgrades at every level of their defense. The top two defensive prospects in this class are Leonard Williams out of USC, and Randy Gregory from Nebraska. There is no doubt that both of these players would offer tremendous upgrades for the Titans defense.

Randy Gregory would be a better fit for the Titans as they could really use an upgrade across from Derrick Morgan to apply more pressure to the quarterback in their 3-4 scheme. Shaun Phillips and Kamerion Wimbley simply didn’t get it done this year. They are both aging players who could be on their way out regardless.

Leonard Williams would be an intriguing option for the Titans. He doesn’t fill the as big of a need as Randy Gregory does, but pairing Williams with stud defensive lineman Jurrell Casey would give the Titans potentially two dominate players on their defensive line, which would be a huge boost when it comes to slowing down Andrew Luck when they play the Colts twice a season.

I personally think that the Titans should take whichever quarterback the Buccaneers don’t take, but adding elite prospects like Randy Gregory or Leonard Williams might be too tantalizing to pass up.