Indianpolis Colts tight end Jacob Tamme (L) and quarterback Peyton Manning (18) celebrate with teammate Austin Collie after he scored in the fourth quarter on a 23-yard touchdown pass against the Denver Broncos at Invesco Field at Mile High on September 26, 2010 in Denver. The Colts (2-1) defeated the Broncos (1-2) 27-13. UPI/Gary C. Caskey
No. 8 Tennessee Titans
Team Needs: QB, G, CB, LB, DT
The team has already announced that Vince Young won’t return, meaning there’s a good chance that the Titans will target their future signal caller at No. 8. Kerry Collins is a free agent, but the team could bring him back on a cheap, one-year contract so he can help groom a rookie. The interior of the offensive line must be addressed, so the Titans could (and probably should) look to add a guard in one of the first three rounds. Defensively, Alterraun Verner was one of the best rookies in the league last season and the team is high on Jason McCourty, but Cortland Finnegan struggled and is heading into a contract year. A team can never have too many corners when they play in the same division as the Colts and Texans, so don’t rule out Tennessee nabbing a CB in the first round. Jason Babin, Jacob Ford and Dave Ball are all free agents, so defensive end could be a need if the Titans decide not to bring at least two of them back. The same can be said at linebacker, where top tackler Stephen Tulloch and outside LB David Thornton are free agents. But Tulloch should be brought back and Gerald McRath is emerging as Thornton’s replacement, so I doubt the team will draft a linebacker at No. 8. But again, it all depends on how they handle their free agents though. Also, I wouldn’t be completely shocked if the Titans nabbed a DT in the first round, especially if Nick Fairley slips. But I just can’t see them pulling the trigger on Marcell Dareus that high.
First Round Possibilities: Nick Fairley (Auburn), Cam Newton (Auburn), Jake Locker (Washington), Ryan Mallett (Arkansas), Patrick Peterson (LSU), Prince Amukamura (Nebraska), Von Miller (Texas A&M), Marcell Dareus (Alabama).
No. 11 Houston Texans
Team Needs: CB, S, LB, DT, WR
When your team gets torched through the air on a weekly basis like the Texans were last year, the defensive backfield must be addressed. Kareem Jackson was a major disappointment in his first year, but he’s only a rookie and needs time to develop. Glover Quinn is a suitable No. 2 but he’s not a playmaker and he can’t matchup with the better receivers in the league, so adding a corner this offseason is a must (although the Texans may choose to go with a veteran over another rookie). Safety is the bigger concern. The team just released Eugene Wilson and while Bernard Pollard was excellent two years ago, he struggled last season. They need to add a ballhawk at some point, but maybe signing someone like O.J. Atowge makes more sense than drafting a safety in the second or third round, because there isn’t a prospect worth taking at No. 11. Staying on the defensive side of the ball, the loss of DeMeco Ryans hurt and it could be up to 18 months before he fully recovers from the Achilles injury he suffered last season. Brian Cushing can play either inside or outside, but right now this team is seriously lacking pass-rushers on the outside. With the switch to a 3-4 under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, the defensive tackle position must be addressed as well. Phillips has found success with lighter nose tackles in previous stops, but Amobi Okoye has just six sacks in 53 games since recording five sacks in his first nine games as a rookie. He just hasn’t been the player the team expected him to be when they drafted him in the first round a couple of years ago and I can’t envision Houston going into next season without adding a piece to the interior of their D-line.
First Round Possibilities: Aldon Smith (Missouri), Prince Amukamara (Nebraska), Marcell Dareus (Alabama), Cameron Jordan (Cal), Julio Jones (Alabama), Patrick Peterson (LSU), Nick Fairley (Auburn), Von Miller (Texas A&M), A.J. Green (Georgia), Da’Quan Bowers (Clemson), Robert Quinn (North Carolina), Akeem Ayers (UCLA).
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