Outside of Derrick Morgan, which Titan rookie do you think will have the most immediate impact?

  • T.D. Winstead

    Let me just start by saying how stoked I am about Derrick Morgan. He was my ideal pick since November '09. His motor is excellent, he has a ton of talent, and the GaTech DL did a lot of the stunting that the Titans DL does so Morgan can stunt and do so effectively. He's got a very bright future ahead of him!

    To answer the question, in my mind it has to be Damian Williams, WR, USC. But the impact won't come from his WR position as much as it will from his ability as a return man. The PR/KR position killed the Titans last season, and even single handedly cost them a game against the Jets. Williams doesn't have to be the next PacMan Jones (on the field) for us at PR, but as long as he consistently fields the punt and is able to move up field (like a Chris Carr), then he'll make a major impact since he'll be upgrading the Titans's worst position last year. Hell, just think about how many guys returned for the team last year: Ryan Mouton, Mark Jones, Alvin Pearman, Cortland Finnegan, Michael Griffin, Kenny Britt, Jason McCourty, Javon Ringer, and even friggin' Kevin Kaesviharn.

    Now, whether or not Williams mans both PR and KR remains to be seen, and he still has competition from fellow rookie return specialist Marc Mariani, who was a pet pick by Jeff Fisher since his son was team mates with Mariani at Montana, so we'll see what happens. But either way, I expect Williams to carve a niche at Slot WR by midseason, if not sooner, and start getting heavily involved in the offense and making an impact there as well.

    Williams is kind've an easy pick, since he was the next selection after Morgan, so I'll spend a little time hyping 4th Round pick CB Alterraun Verner out of UCLA. I'm very high on this guy, and Vols fans will remember this guy since he had an outstanding performance in the Tenn/UCLA game this past year. He's perfect for the scheme, and while he doesn't have the physicality that a "Titans CB" typically has, he fits the zone coverage that the Titans employ great with his ball-hawking ability. He's able to read the offense, and pick off the QB as good as any CB in the Draft. Not to mention he's incredibly intelligent off the field, and was a poster boy for UCLA student athletes for the past few years. Vincent Fuller has the nickelback spot on lock, and it seems Devin McCourty is in the lead for the outside CB spot opposite Finnegan, but don't be surprised at all if you see Verner see playing time this year in dime situations or if someone gets injured. I think Ryan Mouton is the next in line at NB if Fuller gets hurt, but if McCourty gets injured, I can see Verner take his spot instead of a veteran like Rod Hood.

  • T.D. Winstead