NASHVILLE, Tenn. – With the college football season in the rear view mirror and the deadline passed for players to declare, draft analysts are completing the second wave of 2015 NFL Mock Drafts.
Some of the mocks look the same, while others have new names going second overall to the Titans.
Here's the rundown.
ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper Jr. (@MelKiperESPN) thinks the Titans are going with a quarterback in the first round. He disagrees with his ESPN colleague Todd McShay, who had the Titans taking Jameis Winston in his first mock a few weeks back. Instead, Kiper thinks the Titans will go with Oregon QB Marcus Mariota.
The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner fell short in the National Championship game against Ohio State and will be heavily scrutinized in the coming months.
"Mariota has a great work ethic, exceptional athletic tools, enough arm to drive the ball down the field and on intermediate throws and he did improve in his ability to get through progressions, anticipate and deliver with good placement this season," said Kiper.
In this mock, Kiper had Winston going first overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Rob Rang (@RobRang) and Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) of cbssports.com updated their mock draft from their initial projections but still have the Titans selecting Winston.
"If GM Ruston Webster can work past the off-field issues during pre-draft meetings, the Titans are in need of a long-term solution and Winston has all of the physical tools and on-field leadership traits to warrant a selection this high," said Rang.
"There are maturity questions, but his ability on the football field is so impressive for a 20-year old, which is why I think a team will roll the dice on him very early," is what Brugler said of the projection.
Rang has the Bucs taking Leonard Williams from USC while Brugler still thinks Tampa goes with Mariota.
Jason McIntyre of thebiglead.com (@jasonmcintyre) says the Titans will take an offensive tackle for the second consecutive year with Andrus Peat from Stanford.
The Titans used their top pick a year ago on Michigan offensive tackle Taylor Lewan, who appears to have a bright future at the position for Tennessee going forward. Peat is also a natural left tackle.
Walter Cherepinsky of WalterFootball.com (@walterfootball) still has the Titans going with Winston, but added another three rounds of projections. Cherepinsky thinks the Titans will start day two of the draft by taking Josue Matias, a guard from Florida State with the 33rd overall pick. Matias is currently Kiper's second-ranked guard.
In the third round of the mock, he has Tennessee going with outside linebacker and pass-rushing specialist Hau'oli Kikaha from the University of Washington. Kikaha led the nation with 19 sacks in 2014. What makes this pick most interesting is that Kikaha will be on Ken Whisenhunt's North Team for the Senior Bowl. The Titans coaching staff and front office should learn everything they need to know about Kikaha this week.
In the fourth round this mock had the Titans selecting cornerback Quandre Diggs from Texas. Like Kikaha, Diggs will be on the North Team for the Senior Bowl.
Cherepinsky's partner at WalterFootball.com Charlie Campbell (DraftCampbell) also has three rounds of a mock draft put together. Campbell thinks the Titans will go with Marcus Mariota in round one followed by Stanford cornerback Alex Carter and Kikaha in rounds two and three.
Finally, Luke Easterling of draftbreakdown.com (@LukeEasterling) put together his first round projections. After Mariota goes first overall, Easterling says the Titans will take Winston at #2.
