Leonard Williams, DE, USC
The Tennessee Titans are in very good position in this year's draft. They draft high enough to get an impact player or at least a player they can start to build around. Another benefit of such a high pick, is the ability to trade this pick and get more value later in the first round and draft as a whole. But this is the Annual CSC Mock Draft and every team keeps their pick.
So with the second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans select: Leonard Williams, defensive end, USC!
At first glance, some would wonder why the Titans might pass on QB Marcus Mariotta with this pick. Even more would wonder why a team that has so many needs would chose a defensive player. There are three reasons that Leonard Williams will land in Tennessee.
#1 - The Titans have Jurrell Casey, one the of the more dominant defensive lineman in the AFC. As Houston, San Francisco, and Seattle have shown, a dominant defensive line can get your team into playoff contention quickly. Pairing Casey and Williams together will create flexibility for Ray Horton's defense and help their secondary tremendously by bringing consistent pressure.Also having Dick LeBeau working with your team would make you want a defensive player early as well.
#2 - Zach Mettenberger! The Titans have a very good young player at QB and don't necessarily need to pick another QB up this early, especially if Jameis Winston is gone already (though I still think they should pass on him and Marcus Mariotta). I'm not an LSU homer, so there is no home cooking brewing with this observation. Mettenberger was good in 2014, despite playing behind a shaky line, throwing to limited targets, and a poor ground game. As it stands, the titans have not done much to improve any of those areas, so it would be a waste to throw an even younger QB out there in 2015. Mettenberger relieves the need to pick up a QB early. If they really want to bring a guy in later, maybe they grab Bryce Petty in the 2nd round or later.
#3 - Probably the most important reason is Williams himself. His measurements are not uncommon, but his abilities at his size are. Williams is 6'5", 305 lbs and moves really well for a big guy. He also is a versatile player who played in the 4-3, 5-2, and 3-4 defense in college. Williams has been praised for his strong hands and refers to J.J. Watt when he's asked about which NFL players he most attempts to emulate. Watching Williams highlights and draft profile videos, he is an exceptional athlete who can rush and stop the run. Lining Williams up opposite of Casey could spell trouble for AFC South QBs for a few years.
To sum things up, Williams is probably the safest pick at #2 overall because he is such a hard worker and studies the game. He is versatile and very active throughout a game, doesn't seem to take plays off. Has expressed a great interest to play alongside Casey, who is also a former USC Trojan. Titans fans are in love with the prospect of having Freak 2.0 on the roster and for good reason. Williams will be an excellent pick for the rebuilding Tennessee Titans because he is an impact player.
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Thanks to all the CSC members who participated in this year's community mock draft. Without your help, none of this would be possible.
Below are the complete results from our community mock draft.
Catch up with all of the mock draft selections in our 2015 CSC Community Mock Draft Hub.
Pick | Team | Selection | Team Representative | Approval Rating |
1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
QB Jameis Winston - Florida State |
Hans Petersen | |
2 | Tennessee Titans | DE Leonard Williams - USC | Tee Word | |
3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Khannar | ||
4 | Oakland Raiders | arcuate | ||
5 | Washington Redskins | Lostastic | ||
6 | NY Jets | BlackandGold4ever | ||
7 | Chicago Bears | saintmanumit | ||
8 | Atlanta Falcons | Dave Choate | ||
9 | NY Giants | GoFastTurnLeftMaybeRight | ||
10 | St. Louis Rams | Kevin Sean Held | ||
11 | Minnesota Vikings | gulf shores | ||
12 | Cleveland Browns | ryan_la_sports07 | ||
13 | New Orleans Saints | Dave Cariello | ||
14 | Miami Dolphins | Ralph Malbrough | ||
15 | San Francisco 49ers | The Irish Assassin | ||
16 | Houston Texans | quickdrawdoc | ||
17 | San Diego Chargers | LeedsSaint | ||
18 | Kansas City Chiefs | jmcmillan_93 | ||
19 | Cleveland Browns | ryan_la_sports07 | ||
20 | Philadelphia Eagles | Matt Mosley | ||
21 | Cincinnati Bengals | coldpizza | ||
22 | Pittsburgh Steelers | whodatgermany | ||
23 | Detroit Lions | Khannar | ||
24 | Arizona Cardinals | saintmanumit | ||
25 | Carolina Panthers | |||
26 | Baltimore Ravens | quickdrawdoc | ||
27 | Dallas Cowboys | arcuate | ||
28 | Denver Broncos | |||
29 | Indianapolis Colts | |||
30 | Green Bay Packers | Matt Mosley | ||
31 | New Orleans Saints | Dave Cariello | ||
32 | New England Patriots |