With the 2020 NFL Draft right around the corner on April 23, it’s always fun to take a look back at past draft picks of the Tennessee Titans — particularly those from the first round — that have ranged from great to horrific.
Since 1999, the Titans have selected 20 players in the first round, with 2001 and 2004 being the only years the team didn’t have a first-round pick. Tennessee had two first-round picks in 2017, though.
So, we’re going to take on the impossible task of trying to rank all 20, factoring in how long the player was with the team, draft placement, overall production, and accolades.
Let the games begin.
20. Andre Woolfolk | CB (No. 28 overall, 2003)
Woolfolk played in 39 games for the Titans over four years, but started in just 12. He totaled three picks during that span. The Titans didn’t bring him back after 2006 and he never played another snap in the NFL.
19. Jake Locker | QB (No. 8 overall, 2011)
We all had high hopes for Locker coming out of college, but he easily turned out to be the worst of the first-round quarterbacks the Titans have selected since 1999. Locker never played in more than 11 games in a single season and threw for over 2,000 yards just once.
18. Adam Jones | CB (No. 6 overall, 2005)
Jones got off to a shaky start to his career on the field and had multiple run-ins with the law off the field during his time with the Titans. He was an electric returner and solid corner in 2006, but simply couldn’t stay out of trouble, leading to his tenure in Nashville lasting just two seasons.
17. Chance Warmack | G (No. 10 overall)
Warmack was a three-year starter for Tennessee, but his performances never showed he was worthy of being a top-10 pick. His last season with the Titans was marred by injury and he later moved on before taking the 2019 season off. He has since re-emerged with the Seattle Seahawks.
16. Corey Davis | WR (No. 5 overall, 2017)
There is still an opportunity for Davis to climb above the other receivers on this list, but for now he is behind both Kenny Britt and Kendall Wright based on production. Davis took a step forward in 2018, but then took a step back and a back seat to A.J. Brown in 2019. He’s a great blocker, but that simply isn’t enough to rank him higher based on where he was drafted.
15. Kenny Britt | WR (No. 30 overall, 2009)
Britt recorded over 700 yards in each of his first two seasons and it looked like he was trending upward to being a great Titans receiver. His rookie campaign was one of the best in franchise history for a player at his position. However, Britt flamed out in the three seasons that followed.
14. Jeffery Simmons | DL (No. 19 overall, 2019)
It’s hard to rank Simmons at this point of his career. After all, he played in just nine games during his rookie season after recovering from a torn ACL. Regardless, Big Jeff was disruptive in his first season and could end up being a steal, as he was projected by some to be a top-five pick before his injury. If it all pans out, Simmons will be moving up this list in the future.
13. Rashaan Evans | LB (No. 22 overall, 2018)
Like Simmons, the jury is still very much out on Evans, but we like what we’ve seen thus far from the inside linebacker. Evans was second on the team in tackles last season, played on 86 percent of the snaps, and was a force against the run. The sky’s the limit for the young linebacker, who is another candidate to get a higher ranking down the road.
12. Kendall Wright | WR (No. 20 overall, 2012)
Wright is the only receiver on this list to cross the 1,000-yard mark during his career in Tennessee, and the only wideout who posted three seasons of 600 yards or more. He was fairly productive in each of his five seasons with the Titans, although Wright was never able to continue to progress after a strong start to his career.
11. Vince Young | QB (No. 3 overall, 2006)
We can argue about what led to Young’s demise with the Titans, but there were a few solid years in there during his five-year tenure in Nashville. Young won Rookie of the Year, made two Pro Bowls, and he helped take the Titans to the playoffs in 2007. He was also on the cover of the 2008 version of the Madden NFL video game.
10. Jack Conklin | RT (No. 8 overall, 2016)
Conklin exploded onto the scene in his first year with the Titans, earning First-Team All-Pro honors. However, his performance went down in the two years that followed, while also dealing with injuries. Conklin rebounded in 2019 to have a great season, but left in free agency in 2020.
9. Adoree’ Jackson | CB (No. 18 overall, 2017)
The second of two first-round picks for the Titans in 2017, Jackson has shown flashes of being a top-notch corner during his time in the league. He’s also shown the opposite, though. Still, Jackson seemed to come into his own as 2019 progressed and might be around for the long haul in Nashville. He has the potential to make a jump up this list in the future.
8. Marcus Mariota | QB (No. 2 overall, 2015)
No, Mariota did not pan out the way we all hoped, but he did pull the Titans out of the dark ages and was a bit more consistent than the other quarterbacks on this list. The Oregon product helped lead the Titans to the playoffs in 2017 and was able to notch a postseason win in incredible comeback fashion.
7. Michael Griffin | S (No. 19 overall, 2007)
A two-time Pro Bowler, Griffin was solid for the Titans in the secondary during his nine years with the franchise. He notched four interceptions or more three times, including seven in his sophomore campaign. Griffin was arguably one of the best at his position in the NFL at one point.
6. Derrick Morgan | LB (No. 16 overall, 2010)
A staple of the Titans’ defense for nine years, Morgan notched six sacks or more five times, including a career-high nine in 2016. No matter what position the Titans asked him to play, Morgan was game. Somehow, he was never named a First-Team All-Pro or made a Pro Bowl, but he remains one of the great Titans defenders in team history.
5. Chris Johnson | RB (No. 24 overall, 2008)
Johnson was incredibly productive with the Titans. He totaled over 1,000 yards on the ground in each of his six seasons with the team, and his 2,000-yard season in 2009 is legendary. CJ2K made three Pro Bowls and was a First-Team All-Pro during his historic season.
4. Taylor Lewan | LT (No. 11 overall, 2014)
The man they call “Dad” has become one of the best in the NFL at one of the most important positions on a football field. He’s had a few shortcomings (his 2019 suspension, penalties) but he has helped to give this franchise an identity and has made three Pro Bowls. He could very well move up this list in the years to come.
3. Albert Haynesworth | DT (No. 15 overall, 2002)
Haynesworth was an absolute force in the middle of the Titans’ defensive line for seven years. He made a pair of Pro Bowls and was named First-Team All-Pro twice. Haynesworth totaled 14.5 sacks combined in 2007 and 2008, his two best seasons as a pro.
2. Keith Bulluck | LB (No. 30 overall, 2000)
Bulluck was routinely one of the best at his position over the years and is still seen as one of the great leaders this team has ever had. When you talk about throwback jerseys that you seen fans wearing, Bulluck’s is one of the most common. In 2004, Bulluck led the NFL in combined tackles. Not bad for a guy taken at the end of the first round.
1. Jevon Kearse | DE (No. 16 overall, 1999)
Along with Bulluck, Kearse is easily one of the best defenders in Titans history, and the case can certainly be made that he was, in fact, the best. As far as pass-rushers go in team history, Kearse is the cream of the crop.
Kearse wasted no time becoming a great player, as he was named Rookie of the Year in 1999. He made three Pro Bowls and was named a First-Team All-Pro once during his first three seasons, totaling double-digit sacks in each.
Few defenders in the NFL were as feared as Kearse was during his first stint in Nashville.
