Nick Fairley Could Put Tennessee Titans Defense Back in the Spotlight

Last season the Tennessee Titans defense proved to be more of a liability than a strength for an organization that used to boast one of the better defenses in the NFL.

With the eighth overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, the Titans have a great opportunity to address that slumping defense with the selection of Nick Fairley out of Auburn.

The latest mock draft done by ESPN's Mel Kiper has the Titans taking Fairley, and Kiper is usually pretty accurate on his projections.

If the Titans were to take Fairley, he would instantly bulk up a defensive line that was average once you looked past Jason Babin.

The Titans rush defense ranked 13th in the NFL in 2010, but Fairley could make that rush defense one of top in the league.

With top-tier running backs like Maurice Jones-Drew and Arian Foster looming in the AFC South, it's even more important that the Titans bulk up their defensive line.

However, with the Titans' quarterback situation still up in the air, a lot of people are calling for the Titans to use their first pick on a quarterback.

Although the Titans obviously need a quarterback, it just doesn't seem like the right move from looking at this year's draft class.

This year's draft class is loaded with defense talent, whereas the offensive side of the ball is ordinary at best.

Kiper's projection of the Titan's second-round pick seems to make more sense as he has them taking Ryan Mallet.

If this scenario were to play out, then the Titans would essentially get a quarterback with a ton of pro potential while still addressing another immediate concern at defensive line with Fairley.

You also have to remember that Fairley can make an immediate impact on this team while a rookie quarterback will be a work-in-progress no matter who they draft.

Fairley would fit in nicely with Jason Jones at defensive tackle, which would in return push Sen' Derrick Marks back on the depth chart.

The one downside to Fairley is the questions about his character and work ethic. Some skeptics are concerned over whether or not Fairley will become a problem once he gets that first big paycheck.

Those concerns are definitely warranted, but you take that risk with pretty much every young kid you draft.

In the end, talent trumps character concerns.

We don't know how Fairley's character will be once he enters the fabulous life of the NFL, but we do know how dominant he was last season at Auburn.

Fairley had 12 sacks and 56 tackles last season for Auburn. He also led the nation in tackles for loss, which is an extremely important stat when looking at defensive tackles.

Even if the Titans do take a defensive tackle with the eighth overall pick, it still might not be Fairley.

Alabama's Marcell Dareus still sits up there as one of the better defensive tackles in this year's draft class.

Hopefully the Titans will choose to go with the hot hand in Fairley over the player that is coming off a down year in 2010, but both obviously have great pro potential.

It's hard to know what the Titans might do with their first pick considering all of the weaknesses they have, and the fact that they have virtually an entire new coaching staff.

With the likelihood of promising quarterbacks still being available in the second round, it seems to make sense that the Titans will go defense with their eighth overall pick on April 28.