The NFL is a league of haves and have-nots. As a team, you either boast a franchise quarterback or wallow in signal-caller ineptitude. The Tennessee Titans fall into the latter category. Would-be saviors such as Vince Young and Jake Locker have proved unable to lift this franchise back to the Super Bowl. But now the Titans hold the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, giving the team an opportunity to draft either Oregon's Marcus Mariota or Florida State's Jameis Winston, the top two QB prospects on the board.
The question is, will the Titans actually go through with it? Head coach Ken Whisenhunt has always been a fan of big-armed pocket passers and Mariota does not fit that mold to a tee. If Winston is off the board, as ESPN's NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper projects in his latest mock draft, Tennessee could look elsewhere when they are on the clock. Specifically, pass-rusher Randy Gregory out of Nebraska.
"I think Randy Gregory is the best edge guy in the draft," Matt Miller of Bleacher Report wrote. "He is incredibly long and he's very, very fast off the edge. When you talk about explosive first steps, he's got that. The flexibility in his hips to turn the corner and accelerate, he can do that all day. He uses his length well. With him, you're looking at super big potential.
"He reminds me of Aldon Smith when he was at Missouri, not who he is now that he's put on some weight and filled out. Gregory is the same type of prospect that Smith was at Mizzou. You look at him and you think, 'Wow this dude could be amazing.' He's an elite prospect at this position."
Tennessee's QB struggles are well-noted. While 2014 fourth-rounder Zach Mettenberger impressed coaches in limited playing time this past season, it's unclear if he can develop into a franchise QB. Still, it's not as if the Titans couldn't use some extra oomph in the pass-rushing game. The team ranked just 16th in the NFL in sacks (39) this year. However, USC defensive end Leonard Williams may be a better option should the Titans decide to pass on a quarterback.
"Williams is the complete package - he can two-gap as a run stuffer, but he can also penetrate and make plays against both the pass and the run," ESPN's Todd McShay wrote. "...Having two studs in Williams and Casey on the defensive front would provide a boost for a team that ranked 31s in the league in rushing yards per game allowed last season. The Titans have a huge need at QB and would have to consider Marcus Mariota here, but he's a risk despite his big-time upside because of his lack of experience at consistently throwing with anticipation and accuracy from the pocket at Oregon."
