There seems to be no telling at this point just what direction the Tennessee Titans will choose to go with the second-overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Trade. Quarterback. Defensive tackle. Light the draft card on fire and run away.
While no one can be sure what coach Ken Whisenhunt and the Titans brass will end up doing, a recent report suggests that Florida pass-rusher Dante Fowler Jr. is much higher on the Tennessee draft board than has been previously suggested and is very much in play for the second-overall selection.
"The popular notion that USC defensive tackle Leonard Williams would be the second overall pick for the Titans if not Mariota doesn't jibe with a handful of decision makers I polled," writes Robert Klemko of MMQB. "For some, Dante Fowler, the defensive end out of Florida, is the clear choice as the top defensive player. Said one high-level evaluator: 'I think Fowler is the top guy. Tremendous athlete. You see him impact his guy like DeMarcus Ware, Von Miller. Williams is a good player. A top-five pick. I don't want to say it's a hype machine, but he's got some tape where he just disappears and doesn't make plays.'"
Despite Williams' prodigious physical gifts - he goes about 6-foot-5, 302-pounds - he's a player that several Pro Football Focus staffers came to view as "reactive, not active," during their study of his film.
"Williams appeared to be far too passive on tape too often," PFF writes. "He had the ability to rag-doll his blockers and make plays in the backfield seemingly any time he wanted, but far too often he would only deploy that ability once he read the play coming in his direction, rather than using it as a proactive weapon to penetrate the line of scrimmage and play the game on the opposition's side."
Fowler, on the other hand, seems set to enter the NFL with little-to-no concern over his level of intensity or on-field focus.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein refers to Fowler - who he believes compares favorably to last year's first-round pick of the Oakland Raiders, Khalil Mack - as a "competitive pass-rusher" with a "Pro Bowl ceiling" and "double-digit sack potential."
Fowler finished 2014 for the Florida Gators with 60 tackles, 15 for loss, 8.5 sacks and 17 quarterback hurries.
"He's had to play at different weights and different spots on the field, and I think he's finally understanding how to use his athleticism to dominate a game. He will be way better in the pros than what he is now," an AFC East director of college scouting told Zierlein.
Of course, while Fowler may not face questions about his on-field aggressiveness, like every 2015 NFL Draft prospect, he enters the league with some concerns of his play.
Fowler is raw and lacks a deep repertoire of pass-rush skills. He also needs to strengthen his lower body and improve his play against the run.
