Why We Should Go WR Early

It's probably a little early to make a thread like this considering the combine is still going on but I've been reading posts, articles, rankings, and looking at mock drafts lately and I've noticed that no one has really talked about or mocked a WR to us in the first few rounds. In the past few years it seems like we've been taking a WR early every year with Britt going in the 1st a while back, Wright last year in the 1st, and a couple other guys drafted relatively high.

However, most of are problems still haven't been addressed if we go back a year from now. Last year I made a thread about this same issue and posted how it wouldn't be a bad idea going WR in the 1st. Granted, this was focused around Stephen Hill at the spot or Floyd dropping to us. Well the points I used last year are about the same I'm going to use right now. Actually, the only issue addressed has been Kendall Wright taking over the slot for us over the next few years. A reliable player who can be explosive for us if used right (hint: he wasn't last year).

-Kenny Britt can't stay healthy on the field and still has troubles off the field. How reliable is he in the eyes of the franchise? Players? Fans? If he's lucky to get a contract offer from us it won't be as much as he would hope. I don't see him as a long term answer for us, let alone if he's even going to be on the team next year. The Titans are going to need a true #1 WR for us soon, whether if it's for Jake Locker or a rookie QB next year.

-Nate Washington is another year older, still playing pretty well but he's definitely not in his prime anymore. He's going to be a reliable target for us but how long can he actually be reliable? He'll be 30 by the time the season starts and his contract expires in 2 more years. I really doubt we offer a good deal to a 32 year old WR whose play will continue to decline a bit over these next 2 years.

-Well after the top 3 we really don't have a lot. Williams hasn't taken the next step like many were hoping and looks like a career back up now. Hawkins got a contract extension which isn't bad because he's a solid player but solid...that's it. Preston is an interesting player but can we rely on him to be a future contributor to this team? I'm not. That's it? Yup. Unless you want to count Jared Cook who is an unhappy player and oh a free agent.

The best case scenario we're looking at out of this group is Britt somehow plays 12-14 games healthy and doesn't get into any trouble, Washington continues to produce pretty well without costing us any games, Wright continues to develop and becomes a threat, and maybe another guy does pretty well. That doesn't sound too promising as a best case. Titans probably won't spend a lot of money at this position considering Britt and Washington are basically locked in as starters given talent level and contracts on the roster but a high pick to stash until a year or 2 for now? Sign me up. So who can we look for? Well I don't think WR would be the best pick in the 1st round so unfortunately we're going to probably miss out on Patterson, Allen, Hopkins, and to a lesser extent Austin (he's just a faster Wright).

Justin Hunter- this is the guy I would want in the 2nd if we are looking WR. He has the size, good speed, great vertical, and is a deep threat. He needs to work on catching the ball a bit more consistently and did have an ACL tear but 2nd half of the season he looked a lot closer to what he should be than the 1st half. So he's still getting back to his old form. We can get him in the 2nd round and with a year of playing behind Britt and Washington, he could step in for either one and be that big deep threat for us.

Robert Woods- another guy with an injury that slowed him down a bit last year with his ankle issue. Really good route runner, speed, quickness, can make separation look easy, and has good hands. Wish he was a little bit taller/bigger but would still be a good pick in the 2nd round, maybe 3rd.

Terrance Williams- not as high on this guy as some others on here. Has solid size and speed and can get up and snag the ball but he's not really great in any category. He's probably a #2 WR, if he can develop a bit more. I haven't seen him play a whole lot, maybe someone else has more info on him.

Quinton Patton- he's the typical small school WR whose stock shoots up after his workout performance. I'm not gonna lie I know nothing about the guy but after looking him up he could be a great pick. Really good all around game, smart player, and a really good route runner. I just read an interview he was in and seems to be a funny guy but also a leader and a strong personality. He can bring some attitude to the team if we grab him. His speed doesn't wow you but he's going to be a good possession WR.

Da'Rick Rogers- I'm a big fan of this guy, if he didn't have character concerns he would be a lock for the 1st round. We probably won't draft him because, well, we've seen how Britt has been but he has the talent. He'll be a 2nd or 3rd round pick who will make the other teams pay for not picking him earlier.

If we sign a defensive lineman (let's say Canty) and sign an OG then why not go WR? One of our biggest needs has been filled at SS and we really don't need another immediate starter besides offensive line. If Justin Hunter or Quinton Patton is there then I hope we take one of them.

 

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Yeah I don't think it's as urgent of a need as it was last year since we added Wright but this is more of a who are we going to have soon? Teams draft positions they need immediate help higher so if we're able to get a leg up on this then we can address a different need a year from now.

Also, QB play concerns me as well but no matter who the QB is, he's going to need talent around him.