When Should Fisher Have Used a 1st Rounder at OLine?
1995 - #3 overall selection. Took QB Steve McNair.
1996 - #14 overall selection. Took RB Eddie George.
Next lineman didn’t come off board until #21
1997 - #18 overall selection. Took DE Kenny Holmes.
Still had former 1st Rd LT Hopkins. Used 4th rounder on Runyan the previous draft.
Next interior lineman off the board went #30 overall (Ross Verba)
1998 - #16 overall selection. Took WR Kevin Dyson.
OTs set. Inherited former 1st Rd LG Matthews still playing at high level.
Next interior lineman didn’t come off board until #26 overall (Faneca)
1999 - #16 overall selection. Took DE Jevon
Kearse.
Entire Oline Set with same OTs & LG and prior year draftee Olsen (who started 9 years for
Fisher) at RG.
Had prior year drafted Kevin Long at C, but he was upgradable. And C Damien Woody selected immediately after
Kearse. Pass rushers harder to find than centers.
2000 - #30 overall selection. Took LB Keith Bulluck.
UFA Fred Miller takes over for departed Jon Runyan. Titans going for it as rest of the Oline is still set.
2001 - Traded #29 overall selection to Rams for DE Kevin Carter.
Still going for championship with same starting Oline. BTW, next Olineman selected after the Ryan Pickett selection didn’t come off the board until the middle of second round.
2002 - #15 overall selection. Took DT Albert Haynesworth.
Matthews out. Replaced by journeyman backup at center. Remaining Oline starters still there. Stud DT harder to find than C. Besides, the first C drafted in this class went #43 overall (Bentley) which was one selection prior to the Titans 2nd round choice.
2003 - #28 overall selection. Took CB Andre Woolfolk.
Journeyman C out. Replaced by prior year late round choice. All other starters remain.
Next C selected after Woolfolk was Al Johnson at #38 overall who busted.
2004- 27th overall pick, but Titans traded out of 1st round.
Only change on Oline was rookie OG Jacob Bell replacing starting LG.
Could have stayed put and landed #34 overall selection OG Chris Snee, but we don’t know what grade they had on him or if they thought they could have got him at their newly acquired #40 selection.
2005 - #5 overall selection. Took CB Pac Man Jones
Only change to Oline was addition of high 2nd round (#41 overall) then RT Michael Roos.
Followed that up with a gold strike 4th rounder and current RT David Stewart. Though Pac Man didn't pan out, by draftnik standards, there was no other Olineman was deemed worthy of #5 overall selection (Alex Barron's draft class).
2006 - #3 overall selection. Took QB Vince Young.
The only lineman in that draft class worthy of that high a selection went immediately after Young in LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson. But, remember the Titans desperately needed a QB AND were already set at OT with Roos and Stewart. Note: Guards stayed the same. Prior to the draft, the team brought in UFA Kevin Mawae for center who played 4 years for
Fisher.
2007 - #19 overall selection. Took S Michael Griffin.
Same set OLine from previous season.
2008 - #24 overall selection. Took RB Chris Johnson.
OTs set. Both guards gone. Bell to Rams. Olson’s career over. However, the next interior lineman didn’t come off the board that draft until #39 overall (Chico Richal who busted).
2009 - # 30 overall selection. Took WR Kenny Britt.
Oline set , though C Mawae near end. Next Center off the board after selection went almost 20 spots later at #49 overall (Unger).
2010 - #16 overall selection. Took DE Derrick Morgan.
Selected over #17 overall Mike Iupati and #18 overall Maurkice Pouncey. But again, pass rushers are harder to find than interior lineman. Couple that with the 2009 team finishing 28th in points allowed (offense #16 in points scored) and the team had just lost DE Kyle Vanden Bosch to free agency that offseason.
2012 - Rams trade down and select Michael Brockers whom was their highest rated player.
BTW, the next Olineman didn't come off the board until #23 overall (Rieff).