NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Kevin Byard called being picked by the Titans in the NFL Draft a "dream come true."
And during the offseason, from the team's rookie camp to organized team activities to minicamp, the former Middle Tennessee State safety did everything he could to prepare himself for 2016.
Byard can check one more thing off his pre-2016 season checklist: his contract.
The Titans and Byard have agreed to terms on his rookie contract. The Titans have now reached deals with all 10 of their draft picks. The team begins training camp on July 30.
"When they picked me, it was almost surreal,'' Byard said after being drafted. "I am going to go in there and work as hard as anybody coming in. I am going to go in there and make an immediate impact on special teams, and I am going to go in there and try and fight for a starting job, that is my plan."
Byard (5-11, 216) was an interception machine at MTSU, racking up 19 interceptions in four seasons. He displayed smarts on the field and off, something the Titans found out when they spent two hours with him on the MTSU campus leading up to the draft.
The Titans selected Byard in the third round (64th overall).
Byard racked up 66 tackles and four interceptions in 2015. With the Titans, he'll have a chance to compete for playing time, and potentially a starting spot, as a rookie.
He was impressive during his offseason work with the team, drawing the praise of coach Mike Mularkey and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, among others.
"(He has) outstanding ball skills," Titans general manager Jon Robinson said of Byard after the team selected him. "I think 19 interceptions speaks for itself, and he had 370-plus tackles as well. So he's a really productive football player, and he's a great guy. He is a captain, he is a (team-first guy). He embodies all the traits we are looking for. We think he can play free and strong, and he can play in the kicking game. He is really good with the ball in his hands when he picks it off."
The Titans select Middle Tennessee State S Kevin Byard in the third round (64th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. (AP Photos)
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