NFL Draft 2011: Mel Kiper Thinks Tennessee Titans Took Risk with Jake Locker

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NFL Draft 2011 and Mel Kiper Thinks Tennessee Titans Took Risk with Jake Locker

While I think Jake Locker will be a good quarterback, I agree with Mel Kiper that he needs time to develop and should be rushed.

The Titans wanted the opposite of Vince young and they got that, but I’m not sure how Locker will react to all the pressure on him in Tennessee.

At No. 8 taking Locker was considered a reach, but if he had come out last season, he would’ve been drafted No. 1 overall or at least top five.

Must Read: 2011 NFL Draft Grades: Report Cards for All 32 NFL Teams Entire Drafts

Mel Kiper’s Analysis:

Tennessee provided the first true shock of the draft. The Atlanta-Cleveland trade wasn't really a shock -- it was more about the compensation. But the Titans took the first major value shot that didn't involve the No. 1 pick. The story of this draft will be how they use Locker. Will they have the patience not to rush him? Will he become more accurate in the NFL than he was in college? The guy has a remarkable skill-set, but productivity is the question. As a pick, you can say the value perhaps wasn't too poor because he wouldn't have lasted past No. 12, but even then he's still a bit of a project. All these quarterbacks taken early were reaches in terms of value, but those are the risks teams feel they need to take to find an answer. After Locker, I do like the Ayers pick. He has Round 1 tape and was taken at No. 39. Casey is also a talented kid who needs to mature. Another wide receiver would have been nice, but so would an idea of who will be throwing the ball in 2011.

Grade: C

Ok, I was willing to let the Jake Locker pick go if they really loved him that much and I think he would’ve been a top five pick last season if he hadn’t had a terrible year with Washington.

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