Sideline Scouting

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Tennessee Titans

Draft Review

40. Ben Troupe - TE - Florida

I wanted the Titans to move up for Udeze rather than down, but the deal the Texans offered was just too good to refuse even though they are a division rival. Troupe gives the Titans almost a third receiver and he should cause a lot of match up problems against linebackers. He ran a slightly disappointing forty time, but he was great value at forty. He can step straight in and replace Frank Wycheck who has now retired. Troupe needs to work on his blocking and use his arms and hands better. He is still great value here and was probably the best available player as well as filling a need.

Pick Grade: A

42. Travis LaBoy - DE - Hawaii

After being on such a high after the Troupe pick I suddenly hit a low here. There’s no doubting that LaBoy is a talented player, but he was a reach at this point and would have probably been on the board at #57. LaBoy is a good playmaker that is blessed with pure speed, long arms and a great frame. His motor, footwork and determination helped him record twenty-four sacks and fifty TOFL while at Hawaii. LaBoy needs to hit the gym and bulk if he wants to be an every down player, but that could cause him to lose his speed. I see him as a third down speed rusher rather than an every down player at the moment. His upside is huge.

Pick Grade: C

57. Antwan Odom - DE - Alabama

I’m an not sure whether Floyd Reese had planned to take two DEs in the second round, but Odom was just too good to pass on here. With Kevin Carter moving inside drafting depth at DE was essential. This pick was amazing in terms of value considering most scouts and mockers (including myself) had Odom rated as a borderline first round pick. Odom is the perfect compliment to LaBoy having a great frame for an every down player. He has good size at 6”4 and 277lbs. He has very good explosive speed and power and reacts quickly with great instincts. He finds ways to get to the QB and recorded twenty-one sacks for the Tide playing against some of the best lines in America. Odom needs to bulk a little more in order to get more physical with offensive linemen and tight ends when hitting the corner.

Pick Grade: A

71. Randy Starks - DT - Maryland

WOW! This pick is another steal, which fills a need at tackle. Starks has been the #1 DT on my board all year round and I am shocked that he hell this far. I had heard rumours of him falling to the second but I did not expect to see him on the board at #71. Starks had to play nose tackle in the 3-4 at Maryland, which did not fit his skills at all. Even though he was double teamed all year and had less talented around him he still managed to post more impressive stats than the more highly rated Tommie Harris. Starks’ ability to handle double teams was a huge reason for EJ Henderson’s impressive performances in 2002. Starks has a huge frame and extremely impressive strength holding the school record for the squat. Although Randy is a big man he has impressive speed off the snap and reacts very well collapsing the pocket. He is also very athletic having the ability to bat down passes. If he can control his emotions and not give away silly penalties I think he can be a star in the NFL. Kris Jenkins fell similarly and he is now the best DT in the league.

Pick Grade: A

92. Rich Gardner - CB - Penn State

Gardner was a borderline third rounder who just snuck onto my top one hundred board. He was a shut down corner at Penn State, but did not show enough upside in his workouts in impress the NFL scouts. He ran a 4.53 forty and had a 36.5 inch vertical. He is average in terms of height and needs to hit the weight room. Gardner reads and reacts to players quickly and has good feet. His ball skills are also pretty impressive and he is a solid and reliable tackler. Gardner needs to play more physical if he is to be a success in the next level.

Pick Grade: C

103. Bo Schobel - DE - Texas Christian

This was a slightly odd pick considering the Titans had already selected two superior defensive ends with picks #42 and #57. Schobel is a tall lean end that possesses both impressive speed and strength. He was one of the most impressive pass rushers in college football last year. Schobel needs to hit if weight room and bulk if he wants to be an every down player. Schobel is quick to react to snaps using his hands effectively and has very good ball skills. He reacts very quickly, which in college helped him be effective against stronger offensive linemen. Schobel needs to improve his change of direction and keep his balance.

Pick Grade: C

Michael Waddell - CB - North Carolina

Waddell has exceptional speed, which he displayed when he ran a 4.37 forty at his workout. His speed also makes him a great return threat, which the Titans desperately need. He is also excellent at blocking kicks and should contribute a lot of special teams as a rookie. Waddell has good fundamentals and is very good in coverage. He needs to hit the weight room and bulk if he is to deal with physical receivers. At the moment he lacks strength in the tackle and his frame is pretty narrow. I am not sure whether he can ever be an effective starter in the NFL, but his return ability and speed mean he will be an effective special teamer. A specialist return man such as Derek Abney could have been taken later so the coaching staff much see some potential in him as a starting corner.

Pick Grade: C

138. Jacob Bell - OG - Miami Ohio

Ben Roethlisberger did a great job of picking the MAC defences apart last year and set conference offensive records. A big reason for this was the time he had to throw due to a very strong offensive line. Jacob Bell is a strong lineman with a big body but he also has the explosive speed and a strong first step. He is also very versatile able to step in at both tackle and guard. Bell needs to improve his body tone and increase his strength, particularly the lower body if he wants to be physical enough for the next year. He has potential as a versatile backup, but not much more. The fifth round was about where he was expected to be picked.

Pick grade: C

165. Robert Reynolds - OLB - Ohio State

Reynolds is a big strong linebacker with a thick body and the potential to bulk and add more muscle. He also has great explosive speed off the snap and a good motor. Reynolds needs to work on his coverage skills and tackling, which are both questionable. He also has a worrying injury history. I think that this pick was a big reach and it does not really fill a position of need. I believe that Reynolds would have been on the board in the sixth and he has no more potential than that of a bit part special teams guy.

Pick Grade: D

191. Troy Fleming - RB/FB - Tennessee

I find this pick quite puzzling. Flemming is not a good enough blocker to be an NFL full back, while he does not have as much talent as some of the running backs who were still on the board. Adimchinobe Echamandu or Quincy Wilson would have been a far greater compliment to Chris Brown. With Eddie George likely to be cut adding depth at running back was essential. I guess he was the pick because he came out of Tennessee. Fleming will most likely be a situational third down back for the Titans due to his impressive lower body strength needed for short yardages. This is however a good value pick seeing as Flemming was a projected fifth or sixth round pick.

Pick Grade: B

230. Jared Clauss - DT - Iowa

Clauss was an academic All-American and scored a forty-five in the wonderlic test showing he has the intelligence to learn an NFL playbook. Clauss is tall and has quite long arms. He has a good frame with the ability to bulk further. Clauss however is not as strong as he should be at his size only having a maximum bench of three hundred and seventy-one pounds. Clauss has poor technique for shedding blocks and he does not use his hands effectively. I don’t think he has a lot of upside, but in the seventh he is a decent pick. His body size is ideal and he does not have bad speed. He will take a lot of coaching, but is pretty good at this stage. With DeMarco McNeil and Tommy Kelly still on the board I think one of those two should have been the pick here.

Pick Grade: B

239. Eugene Amano - C - Southeast Missouri State

Amano fills a need at center, but he is more of a project than the impact player that the Titans need. He has a great frame, but he is not as strong as he should be for his size. Amano has impressive legs and has quick reactions after the snap. Amano certainly needs to hit the weight room if he is to play with the biggest and strongest tackles in the league without assistance. He has the frame to do this, but as well as work in the weight room he will need to put work in off the field watching some film.

Pick Grade: C

241. Sean McHugh - FB - Penn State

McHugh is a very big, physical, strong H-Back. He blocks well from full back, but also has good pass catching ability out of the backfield, which could lead to a move back to tight end. McHugh has a solid and well-defined body, which has potential to gain even more lean mass. McHugh does not have ideal speed at the moment and he will need some coaching in this area. He also needs to work on his blocking technique and ability to make blocks up field. He fills a need, but I think there were better H-Backs on the board at this point.

Pick Grade: D

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