Tennessee Titans Offseason: 10 Players They Should Target In 2011 NFL Draft

The 2011 NFL Draft will be upon us before we know it and there's plenty of intriguing options for the Tennessee Titans to consider.

As of now the Titans have seven picks in the draft, with one pick in each of the seven rounds.

Obviously, the draft pick that's going to get the most hype is going to be that eighth overall pick the Titans earned by sputtering out of control to end the season at 6-10.

With Vince Young gone, it's looking very possible that the Titans could take a quarterback. It's also most likely Jeff Fisher's last chance to show that he's still the man for the job as he's entering the final year on his contract.

Here's 10 prospects the Titans should aim for in the draft, regardless of what round they might come in.

10. Ryan Mallett (QB-Arkansas)

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 04: Quarterback Ryan Mallett #15 of the Arkansas Razorbacks looks to pass against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome on January 4, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Matthew

Now that Vince Young is gone there's suddenly a huge gap at the quarterback position, especially since we really don't know if Kerry Collins has anything left in the tank.

There's a good possibility that Ryan Mallett will still be around when the Titans get their first pick at eighth overall, however that possibility decreased a bit when Andrew Luck decided to stay in school.

Whether Mallett ends up being around or not, he's a great fit with the Titans offensive system. Mallett would have good weapons to throw to, with the major one being Kenny Britt.

Mallett might possess one of the strongest arms in this year's draft class, so the Titans should consider drafting him if he's available.

It might be time to adopt some patience for this upcoming season and let a young quarterback sit behind Kerry Collins and learn the system.

9. Von Miller (OLB/DE-Texas A&M)

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ARLINGTON, TX - JANUARY 07: Jordan Jefferson #9 of the Louisiana State University Tigers throws under pressure from Von Miller #40 of the Texas A&M Aggies during the AT&T Cotton Bowl at Cowboys Stadium on January 7, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by C

The Titans got smoked all year on defense, and a lot of that had to do with the linebackers being ineffective at dropping back into coverage.

Opposing tight ends had field days against the Titans linebackers on a regular basis.

It may be time for the Titans to think about building back up the linebacker position. This is no stab at Stephen Tulloch, who had a great season, but Tulloch needs some help.

Tulloch may end up leaving as a free agent, so that makes this position an even bigger weakness than it already was.

Von Miller is great at both dropping into pass coverage and rushing the passer.

Sorry, but Will Witherspoon and Gerald McRath just didn't get it done.

8. Stephen Paea (DT-Oregon St.)

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EUGENE, OR - DECEMBER 03: Running back LaMichael James #21 of the Oregon Ducks rushes with the ball past tackle Stephen Paea #54 of the Oregon State Beavers at Autzen Stadium on December 3, 2009 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)

There's very little chance that Auburn's Nick Fairley will be around by the time the Titans get their first pick, so Stephen Paea is the next best option.

All of the sudden the Titans defensive line has gotten extremely thin, and a guy like Paea could really bulk up this defensive line that used to be one of the most feared in the NFL.

Jason Jones is still worthy of a starting position, but Sen' Derrick Marks wasn't all that impressive this season.

7. Nate Solder (OT-Colorado)

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BOULDER, CO - OCTOBER 04: Brian Orakpo #98 of the Texas Longhorns rushes against Nate Solder #78 the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field on October 4, 2008 in Boulder, Colorado. Texas defeated Colorado 38-14. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The Titans offensive line did a poor job all season long at making life easier for Chris Johnson. It may be time for the Titans to start fixing that offensive line back up through the draft.

The highest rated offensive lineman according to ESPN is Nate Solder, and there's a good chance he'll be available if the Titans choose to take him for their first overall pick.

Some people don't realize how important the offensive line is to an offense. You can have the best quarterback on the planet, but if that quarterback has no time to throw the ball then odds are the offense is going to struggle.

Now that Vince Young is gone, the Titans have lost the mobility at the quarterback position. It has become even more vital to build up the offensive line.

Solder could be a smart draft pick for the Titans to try to stabilize that offensive line.

6. Ryan Kerrigan (DE-Purdue)

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COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 23: Ryan Kerrigan #94 of the Purdue Boilermakers attempts to tackle Brandon Saine #3 of the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on October 23, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

As stated earlier, the Titans really need to address their defensive line.

Whether or not the Titans decide to go with a defensive end for their first pick relies heavily on what happens with Jason Babin.

If Babin decides to ask for a lot of money after his breakout season, it's very likely that the Titans become unwilling to pay up. It's happened plenty of times in the past.

A guy like Ryan Kerrigan could be a smart way to go. He's finished in the top 10 in sacks in the nation in each of the last two seasons. He also forced four fumbles this season.

It's time for the Titans to go back to what they use to be known for and that's their defensive line.

5. Kenny Tate (DB-Maryland)

There's not a lot to choose from at the safety position in this upcoming draft, but it wouldn't hurt to start looking into building up that position for the Titans.

Who knows how much longer Chris Hope is going to stick around, and I'm not sure if backup Donnie Nickey can ever be more than a special teams player.

In comes the possibility of taking Kenny Tate in the second or third round. He'll most likely still be around in the later rounds.

The safety position might not jump off the page as a glaring weakness for the Titans, but you have to look ahead. The Titans secondary has struggled greatly over the last two seasons and it might be time to bring in some new talent like Tate.

Tate had 90 tackles, four sacks, and three interceptions this past season.

4. Casey Matthews (ILB-Oregon)

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EUGENE, OR - NOVEMBER 26: Quarterback Nick Foles #8 of the Arizona Wildcats is hit by linebacker Casey Matthews #55 of the Oregon Ducks as he throws a pass in the third quarter of the game at Autzen Stadium on November 26, 2010 in Eugene, Oregon.The Ducks

Casey Matthews showed in the BCS National Championship what a great player he is, and the Titans should consider taking him in the second or third round.

Matthews is a tackling machine and showed his ability to drop back into coverage this season by grabbing three interceptions. He very well could end up being just as good as his brother Clay Matthews is playing for the Green Bay Packers right now.

After losing Keith Bulluck, the Titans could use another linebacker with the tenacity that Casey Matthews has.

Ironically enough, his uncle is longtime Titans great Bruce Matthews. Who knows, maybe owner Bud Adams will take special consideration into taking another player from the Matthews family tree.

Sadly enough, it's looking very likely that Stephen Tulloch won't return to the Titans as is he is becoming a free agent. This makes the linebacker position one of the biggest needs for the Titans.

3. Ricky Stanzi (QB-Iowa)

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TEMPE, AZ - DECEMBER 28: Quarterback Ricky Stanzi #12 of the Iowa Hawkeyes throws a pass during the Insight Bowl against the Missouri Tigers at Sun Devil Stadium on December 28, 2010 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

If the Titans were to wait until the later rounds to take a quarterback, Ricky Stanzi could be a nice choice.

Stanzi is a tough quarterback who rarely turns the ball over and has a lot of upside at 6-foot-4.

With the rumors of the Titans going after Kevin Kolb still swirling around, the draft agenda could drastically change. However, with roster at its current state, it looks that the Titans will have to draft a quarterback at some point.

This could end up being a great value pick for the Titans.

2. Ryan Broyles (WR-Oklahoma)

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STILLWATER, OK - NOVEMBER 27: Wide receiver Ryan Broyles #85 of the Oklahoma Sooners leaps over cornerback Brodrick Brown #19 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 27, 2010 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Sooners beat the Cowbo

It's always a plus to draft a guy who's a dual-threat, and Ryan Broyles qualifies as such.

Most likely Randy Moss won't return next season, and Justin Gage seems to have way more dropped balls than he does big catches.

With that said, you have to move Damian Williams to No.3 on the depth chart, meaning there's room here for another wide receiver.

Broyles could help in the return game, much like Mariani has done this season. He's explosive and played for an explosive offense for his entire collegiate career.

He finished among the nation's leaders in all of the major receiving categories, meaning he probably won't be available any later than the second round.

1. Lance Kendricks (TE-Wisconsin)

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MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 18: Lance Kendricks #84 of the Wisconsin Badgers catches a pass against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Camp Randall Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin defeated Arizona State 20-19. (Photo by Jonathan Da

We all know how much the Titans like to use the tight end, and it's very likely that free agent Bo Scaife could be on his way out to make room for Jared Cook and Craig Stevens.

It wouldn't be a horrible idea to draft a tight end in of the later rounds. He obviously wouldn't get a ton of playing time, but in a Jeff Fisher offense you can never have too many tight ends.

Lance Kendricks played for one of the most potent offenses in the nation, and he finished with five touchdowns this season.

Kendricks was also selected as an AP second team All-American and was a finalist for the John Mackey Award.

He'll likely be available for the Titans in the third round or later.