Tennessee Titans 2012 Draft: How the 3 Newest Titans Fit on the Team

Today's National Football League is about mismatches. A team is either reacting to mismatches on the other side of the ball or trying to create them. A diverse scheme on offense and defense leads to uncertainty on the other side, and that can yield big plays that win games.

The Tennessee Titans started their shift last offseason. Jerry Gray looked for more size on the defensive line, athleticism at the linebacker position and a secondary that could lock down receivers.

On offense, the Jeff Fisher days were gone, as the team finished eighth in the league in passing attempts and 30th in rushing attempts.

Kendall Wright: A Nickel Corner's Nightmare

It took nearly three seasons, but the Titans may have figured out how to use Jared Cook. In the final three games of the 2011, Cook had 21 catches for 335 yards. That's nearly half of his season production.

Cook is not an in-line blocking tight end, but he has speed that most linebackers and safeties can't match. He tied Kenny Britt for the longest catch of the year with an 80-yard reception against the Browns.

Some draft experts thought that Kendall Wright was a bad pick because he wasn't the team's biggest need. Most wideouts struggle early in their careers. They can take three-to-four years to become productive starters.

Kendall Wright played in a fast-break spread offense at Baylor. The Titans don't use a fullback a ton, so there are going to be a lot of three-wideout sets on the field. Wright's going to match up against a nickel corner, and that's a mismatch like Cook versus a linebacker (see video). Wright doesn't have to be a full-time player yet, and that allows him to learn the position and the offensive coaching staff will pick their spots to use him.

Other teams are going to have to account for Wright in a way that they wouldn't for Damian Williams or Lavelle Hawkins. A four-wideout set with Kenny Britt, Nate Washington, Jared Cook and Kendall Wright is exciting and nightmare-producing for defensive staffs.

Zach Brown: An Athlete Trying to be a Linebacker

On paper, Zach Brown is the heir apparent to Will Witherspoon's weakside linebacker position. Throw him on the field and the Titans could start two second-year guys and a rookie. That lines up nicely for the future.

Brown is fast—faster than a lot of running backs. The Titans drafted a fast linebacker the same year they took Stephen Tulloch. The guy was named Terna Nande, and he lasted a year in the league. Speed doesn't always translate into success.

Last year, after Barrett Ruud couldn't stay on the field, rookie Colin McCarthy and Witherspoon were the nickel linebackers. Witherspoon's good against the run but not so great against the pass. Zach Brown's going to match up against the top tight ends in the division, including the new rookies for the Colts in Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen.

Jerry Gray now has the option to show the offense some 3-4 defensive looks. Akeem Ayers and McCarthy would play the inside and Kamerion Wimbley/Zach Brown would be the outside linebackers. A quarterback's going to have to think quick with both of those guys coming from the outside.

Mike Martin: Big Man

Jim Washburn preferred smaller defensive ends who could rush the quarterback and weren't always stout against the run. The team as a whole lacked bulk on the defensive line prior to 2011.

That's why the Titans drafted three defensive tackles last year and picked up Shaun Smith in free agency to hold up against the run. Smith held too many cheeseburgers in the offseason, as he came into camp out of shape and pretty much disappeared in the second half of the season.

Rookie Jurrell Casey held up well, but as a whole, the defense struggled up the middle against the run.

Enter Mike Martin. The Michigan star has the size (6'1", 306 pounds) to play the run. Defensive linemen are notorious for taking plays off. That's not Martin's reputation. Throw Martin and Casey on the field, hope for a rejuvenated Shaun Smith, get some rotational snaps from Sen'Derrick Marks and Leger Douzable, keep Karl Klug in his pass-rushing role and the defensive tackle position isn't a liability.

Martin played nose tackle at Michigan, so he could be the anchor of a 3-4 subpackage. Martin, Karl Klug and Derrick Morgan on the line in a passing situation would give offensive coordinators something to think about.

There's one day to go in the draft. The Titans have not drafted the way that draftniks expected. Almost every rookie the Titans put on the field last year made an impact. The same will be true of this year's class if the Titans are going to make a serious run at the AFC South.