Titans covet Jamaal Anderson... perhaps the #6 pick?

by Skin Patrol on Apr 16, 2007 11:46 AM EDT in News Comment 1 comment

I should qualify that title. The Titans think Anderson is a stud, that they might want the #6 pick is just wishful thinking on my part.

Per The Morning News:

Not that it's a dead issue just yet, but Washburn thought the Tennessee Titans had a shot at Arkansas defensive end Jamaal Anderson in the upcoming NFL draft. That doesn't appear to be the case anymore.

But Washburn, the former Arkansas defensive line coach, had his guys chomping at the bit to take Anderson until the 6-foot-6, 286-pounder saw his stock soar in the last month.

"I want Anderson, I really like him," said Washburn, veteran defensive line coach with the Titans. "I was thinking about ways to make sure our head coach (Jeff Fisher) and general manager (Mike Reinfeldt) remembered him when we were at the combine."

The problem? He's not going to last to the Titans' 19th pick:

Most projections say Anderson will be long gone. The latest draft projections at NFL.com puts Anderson as the No. 6 overall pick, going to the Washington Redskins.

And that's in line with my selection in the SBN Mock Draft. Make sure you read the entire article as it's essentially a cheerleading job on Anderson, who apparently really really really really (really) impressed Jim Washburn.

"I like the kid a lot," Washburn said. "I wanted to coach him. First, he's just getting started. He hasn't played a lot of defensive end. His background was as a wideout. He is still learning the position and he's just 21. So he has a huge upside.

"It's almost scary how high he's listed for as little as he's played at the position. But he's a true defensive end. He's 6-6, 286 and he can run. So he's not one of those 'tweener guys. He isn't someone you are trying to project and say, 'Well, he isn't big enough, or he isn't good enough as a pass rusher. He is all you want to play that position."

And it goes on and on. An Anderson drafting is compared to last year's pick of Vince Young in the effect it could have on the team.

I think that's fustian praise though I invite it happily. Increased Anderson stock is only good for the Redskins. If he is half as good a prospect as the article makes him out to be, than we can't really miss by selecting him at #6. And if other teams (or the Titans) take an interest in him, that increases our ability to trade down from the #6 as he climbs in importance on Draft boards. The Titans have 10 draft picks, including two fourth rounders, and thus have a lot of (draft) love to give in a trade. I believe Adam Carriker will be available at 19 and am comfortable scooping him as a future replacement of Phillip Daniels. Those extra picks are necessary, in my opinion.

But, worst case scenario, we take Anderson (or Adams if he falls) at #6 and I'm one happy camper. If Jim Washburn is taken at his word, Jamaal is a truly special prospect with an enormous upside.

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I saw this...

a Yahoo! comparison of the top DE prospects.

So as to not cherry pick the article too much, I'll just run through a Cliff Notes version of the article.

Anderson has a huge upside. He is still developing as a player and pass-rusher, but 13.5 sacks last year in the SEC is a promising start. He's at 6'6, 280 right now but could possibly add some more weight to become about a 300lb DE with 4.76 speed. Scary. The two guys they compare him to are Richard Seymour with the possibility of turning into Strahan. Not bad.

Adams is the more proven and NFL-ready pass rusher right now. He's on the small side at 6'5, 260 but 28 sacks over a career in the SEC shows he plays a bit bigger than that. John Murphy, who wrote the article, thinks that he could get overmatched when teams run the ball at him, and thinks that he has little room to grow given his body.

Basically, Adams is the better of the two right now but has little room to grow, where as Anderson was efficient last year and has light years to grow, both physically and as a player.

Given Williams' decisions not no play rookies early, I say go with Anderson. Plus, I think Adams will be gone before the team picks at #6.

by TexSkins on Apr 16, 2007 6:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs