By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special contributor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Teams that lack a roster with quality players tend to draft for need, but bad teams drafting for need usually stay bad because of the lack of quality talent on their depth chart. The Titans are a team that has drafted for need the past nine drafts but have only found success when they went for the best player on the board, ignoring who else was on the roster.
Examples: Derrick Henry was a second-round selection taken even though DeMarco Murray was the starter. Jeffrey Simmons was the choice despite having Jurrell Casey and DaQuan Jones. Roger McCreary was taken a year after Caleb Farley and Elijah Molden were chosen and two years after Kristian Fulton. AJ Brown was the pick two years after Corey Davis was fifth overall and Adam Humphries was signed in free agency. Harold Landry was selected with Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan still on roster.
Examples of need picks that didn’t fill the need: Treylon Burks was taken to replace Brown. JC Latham was drafted as a need at left tackle but moved to right tackle when left wasn’t a fit. Farley was an injured player in college who stayed injured in the NFL. Dillon Radunz was drafted as a tackle but had to move to guard to get on the field. Isaiah Wilson was drafted to be an immediate starting right tackle but never played.
Fulton was another injured college player who stayed injured in the NFL. The Titans needed a starting ILB when they took Rashaan Evans but he wasn't instinctive. They drafted Davis fifth overall to be a No. 1 receiver, but he never had that kind of skill. Kevin Dodd was a one-year starter in college who didn’t have the work ethic to succeed.
