Can Derrick Henry Be Spark Titans Need to Boost Rebuild Around Marcus Mariota?

Put simply, the Tennessee Titans are doing it right. They know what the formula is: Find a quarterback worth building around, and then give him as much protection and as many weapons as possible. And, fittingly, they're following that to a T. 

The narrative surrounding that process hasn't been perfectly clean. General manager Ruston Webster was fired at the end of the 2015 season despite the fact he drafted the quarterback, Marcus Mariota, and that quarterback's top young wide receiver, Dorial Green-Beckham, last spring. 

But new GM Jon Robinson deserves credit for seeing that with Mariota, Green-Beckham and top 2014 pick Taylor Lewan on the roster, the foundation was already in place for the long-struggling Titans this spring. 

Robinson leveraged his team's No. 1 overall pick into a slew of selections, giving Tennessee the freedom to jump around the draft board on Thursday and Friday. The result? Four picks in the top 45, two of which—No. 8 overall, used on former Michigan State offensive tackle Jack Conklin, and No. 45 overall, used on former Alabama running back Derrick Henry—should immediately help protect and serve Mariota, who was taken second overall last April.

Back	School	Yards	TD
1. Derrick Henry	Alabama	2219	28
2. Christian McCaffrey	Stanford	2019	8
3. Leonard Fournette	LSU	1953	22
4. Royce Freeman	Oregon	1838	17
5. Ezekiel Elliott	Ohio State	1821	23

You expect to get a high-end talent like Conklin in the top 10, though, which is why the Titans should be most excited about the fact they landed an equally talented prospect in that No. 45 spot.

Because Henry is special.

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is a 247-pound smashmouth back coming off a 2,219-yard, 28-touchdown season in college football's toughest conference. He punishes defenders with his brutish style, which is what makes him such a perfect addition to the Tennessee offense. 

The Titans are developing one of the meanest offenses in football, which could enable them to intimidate opposing defenses just enough to keep Mariota healthy and on the right track.

All three players—Henry, Conklin and Lewan—are nasty.

Headlines via The Tennessean, ESPN and Sporting News

And Henry could quickly become the leader of that fiery pack. The 21-year-old will have to share the workload early with free-agent acquisition DeMarco Murray, but it's only a matter of time before a guy who led the nation in rushing last year by a 200-yard margin gets a chance to start running over linebackers. ESPN's Darren Rovell noted the significance of Henry's draft comparison compared to other Heisman Trophy-winning RBs:

Henry doesn't present much risk in the middle of the second round, especially with Tennessee adding three other players ahead of him. He stood out in flashes as a freshman and a sophomore in 2013 and 2014, but 2015 was his only big college campaign. If by chance his remarkable 2015 season was an anomaly—which is unlikely considering he was also a nationally recognized terror in high school—the Titans will take that strike and move on without incurring much damage. 

Fact is, Henry was widely considered the second-best back in this draft, and he'll immediately become the largest regular running back in professional football. 

The man dwarfs over so-called big, bruising backs like Eddie Lacy, LeGarrette Blount, Jonathan Stewart and Le'Veon Bell, and yet only three backs at the NFL Scouting Combine ran the 60-yard shuttle faster than he did. The man ran a 4.54-second 40-yard dash. That's barely possible when you're pushing 250 pounds. 

"

Titans select the monster Derrick Henry! pic.twitter.com/M8B8b2U4nB

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 30, 2016"

Henry might always have his limitations at that size, but on paper and on tape, it's clear he possesses the ability to become a long-term bell cow behind Mariota. Considering his experience in the SEC, that could come quickly. The team's official Twitter account shared Robinson's thoughts regarding Henry:

And if it does, the Titans might be able to take the next step toward becoming a contender. Because one thing Mariota needs is balance within an offense that ranked in the bottom 10 in terms of rushing yards per game last season. Take Mariota's 34 scrambles and designed runs out of the equation, and their 2015 yards-per-attempt total drops from 4.0 to 3.7, which would rank in the bottom five. 

The team's leading rusher in 2015, Antonio Andrews, averaged just 3.6 yards per carry, ranking 37th among 44 qualified backs in terms of DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement) at Football Outsiders. 

They've got the quarterback, and they've given him a talented young receiver and two elite young tackles. And now they've got the right pieces in place for the running game to blossom. 

Once that happens, Mariota should take off, as should the Titans. Derrick Henry alone won't resurrect a franchise that hasn't won a playoff game since 2003, but don't be surprised if he's the catalyst.  

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012.

Follow @Brad_Gagnon