The Best Rookie Storylines at Titans' OTAs

OTAs have started this week, and for many rookies, it will be the first time they get to work with their new coaches.

The Titans used the first pick to fill a hole at right guard, but after that, they had eight other additions, many of them in places where there was already an established starter.

Here are the six most interesting rookie storylines from the Titans camp.

1. Will Brian Schwenke Beat out Fernando Velasco?

Fernando Velasco had a pretty strong season in 2012 as the Titans' starting center, but the Titans still took Brian Schwenke in the fourth round because they had him as the highest rated center in the draft class.

If they were 100 percent on Velasco as the starter, they wouldn't have used that high a pick on a player in the same position.

Going into OTAs, Schwenke has a chance to take the starting spot away from Velasco, and he very well might. If he does, then the Titans will be returning no interior linemen from the 2012 squad and start two rookies.

If not, then Schwenke is probably the long term starter anyway, since the Titans have only tendered Velasco for the 2013 season.

2. How Many Reps Will Lavar Edwards Get?

The Titans suffer from a lack of depth at defensive end. Derrick Morgan had a great 2012 season, and Kamerion Wimbley is a solid starter as well, but after those two, the position looks pretty thin.

Because of this, Lavar Edwards has a shot to surpass players senior to him and earn more playing time. Other than Edwards, there is sophomore Scott Solomon, former Chief Ropati Pitoitua, and Keyunta Dawson on the roster as defensive ends.

Solomon and Dawson each saw some playing time last year, and Pitoitua was a regular contributor with the Chiefs, so Edwards isn't going to walk into a spot as the first backup.

However, Edwards was selected higher than either Solomon or Dawson, and Pitoitua is a strange fit in a 4-3. Therefore, Edwards will only earn a lot of playing time if he really excels. Since he was also a backup at LSU, it's tough to say how far he'll progress at this point in time.

3. Will Khalid Wooten or Daimion Stafford Be a Factor This Season?

The Titans spent their last two picks on developmental defensive backs Khalid Wooten and Daimion Stafford. Wooten joins a crowded group of corners, and while Stafford has less competition, it'll be interesting to see if the Titans plan on using them this season at all.

Wooten is the third developmental corner the Titans have taken in as many years, with Tommie Campbell in 2011 and Coty Sensabaugh in 2012 preceding him.

Sensabaugh was a high draft pick and is only in his second year, and Campbell has been a very productive special teamer. As a result, it's difficult to see where Wooten's niche will be, unless he moves to safety.

Stafford will be behind, Michael Griffin, Bernard Pollard and George Wilson. He will also probably be behind Robert Johnson and Markelle Martin.

Both have a good chance at spending their first year on the practice squad, but one of them could surprise and make himself more valuable than he appears.

4. Will the Titans Use Zaviar Gooden as More Than a Backup?

The Titans surprised everyone by using a third round pick on an outside linebacker when they already have Akeem Ayers and Zach Brown. Ayers has become one of the better defensive players on the team and Brown was perhaps the most impressive rookie linebacker of 2012.

The use of such a high pick leads me to conclude that the Titans don't just plan on letting Zaviar Gooden ride the bench until one of Ayers or Brown is injured.

I expect the Titans to find special packages to use Gooden in. For instance, as the outside linebacker opposite Zach Brown when Ayers moves up to rush the passer.

I don't know how many packages the Titans plan on using Gooden in, but they picked him earlier than any pass rusher and center Brian Schwenke. There's no way he'll just be a backup.

5. How Will Chance Warmack and Blidi Wreh-Wilson Develop?

The two players that the Titans drafted who have the best chance to start right away are Chance Warmack and Blidi Wreh-Wilson. Warmack was the first overall pick for the Titans, and there wasn't a clear cut right guard on the roster before him.

Wreh-Wilson was a steal, and is the kind of long, fluid corner the Titans need on the outside opposite Jason McCourty.

I am all but certain that both will start, maybe both by Week 1, but what remains to be seen is how good they'll be as rookies. Warmack was hyped up as the best guard prospect in years, and Wreh-Wilson was projected in the first round by many draftniks, so both could be outstanding very quickly.

On the other hand, Warmack is slow and had a lot of support in college, and Wreh-Wilson was opposite a corner who was drafted even higher than he was, so both may be over-hyped as well.

6. How Much Playing Time Will Justin Hunter See?

There's no doubt in my mind that the Titans will be using Justin Hunter quite often, the only question is how much.

Hunter will be playing the Z position that, up until last year, was played by Nate Washington. Meanwhile, Kenny Britt will play X again and Kendall Wright will line up in the slot.

Of course, that's the basic package, and the Titans will run a lot of plays with more than three receivers and a lot of others with less, so that will affect his playing time.

Then there's the fact that Washington was the most productive receiver on the team in 2012. He had 46 receptions for 746 yards and four touchdowns last season. Britt had one fewer reception and only had 589 receiving yards. Wright had more receptions (64) and still only had 626 yards. Both Britt and Wright had four touchdowns.

The Titans shopped Washington around this offseason, but even so, it'll be hard for a rookie to displace what has been the best receiver on the team. Hunter will snatch some playing time from Washington, but it may not be a lot if he isn't particularly impressive.