2011 NFL Mock Draft: Tennessee Titans 7-Round Mock Draft

It's hard to believe that we're just weeks away from yet another NFL Draft, and this one should definitely end up being one of the most interesting ones the Titans have had in a long time.

With the Titans having so many glaring weaknesses on their roster, it's hard to figure out how Mike Munchak and company will use their nine draft picks.

Despite the high range of difficulty, here's my attempt at taking on the challenge of what the Titans will do in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Rd. 1 (8th Overall): Nick Fairley-DT (Auburn)

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AUBURN, AL - OCTOBER 23: Nick Fairley #90 of the Auburn Tigers sacks quarterback Jordan Jefferson #9 of the LSU Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on October 23, 2010 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

It's looking more and more likely that the Titans will shy away from taking a quarterback in the first round and instead decide to address the slumping defensive line.

The Titans would love to address the linebacker position first, but Von Miller will be long gone when the Titans step up for their first pick.

No other player in this draft class rose their stock in 2010 as much as Nick Fairley did after he led the nation in tackles for loss and helped Auburn win a national championship.

Most experts agree that Fairley will become the newest member of the Tennessee Titans on April 28, and he'll instantly upgrade the defense. 

Rd. 2 (39th Overall): Brooks Reed-LB (Arizona)

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TUCSON, AZ - SEPTEMBER 18: Quarterback Ricky Stanzi #12 of the Iowa Hawkeyes is sacked by Brooks Reed #42 of the Arizona Wildcats during the third quarter of the college football game at Arizona Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wild

Many people seem to think the Titans will go with Ryan Mallett with their second pick of the draft, and that would make sense if Mallett slips that far down.

Unfortunately I don't see Mallett sticking around for 38 picks. He just has way too much upside, and there are too many teams in need of a quarterback.

If that ends up being the case then the Titans will need to address the linebacker position. We're not sure what's going to happen with Stephen Tulloch once the labor agreement is figured out, and Will Witherspoon struggled greatly in 2010.

A guy like Brooks Reed could be the answer here for the Titans. He's got a lot of promise in terms of dropping back into coverage, and would be a great pass rusher from the linebacker position.

Some have compared him to Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews.

He played defensive end in college, but is undersized for that position for the NFL.

The Titans can gradually transition him to the linebacker position. He already made one transition in college from H-back, so he can do it again.

Rd. 3 (77th Overall): Colin Kaepernick-QB (Nevada)

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JANUARY 09: Colin Kaepernick #10 of the Nevada Wolf Pack throws the ball against Boston College during the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl at AT&T Park on January 9, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Once the labor agreement is hammered out, I really see the Titans make a move in the free agent market for a veteran quarterback.

If that happens, then the Titans will be free to draft a quarterback later in the draft that can learn the ropes for their first couple of seasons.

Colin Kaepernick is one those guys that is quickly rising on everyone's draft boards, but he's nowhere near a rookie starter in the NFL. He'll need plenty of time to become a more traditional quarterback.

There's really no sugar coating the fact that the Titans will have some issues at quarterback for a couple of seasons to come, and we have Vince Young to thank for that.

However, Kaepernick has shown this offseason that he's a great leader and an extremely driven individual. Think of him almost like a poor man's Tim Tebow.

He's very mobile to go along with a very strong arm.

His mechanics need a ton of work, but a high character guy like Kaepernick should have no problem developing into a solid NFL quarterback.

Some think Kaepernick could go as early as the second round, but the questions over his mechanics lead me to believe he'll slip to the third round.

Rd. 4 (109th Overall): DeMarcus Love-OT (Arkansas)

Sooner or later in this draft the Titans will need to start rebuilding their razor thin offensive line.

DeMarcus Love could end up being a steal for the Titans when we look back on this draft in a couple of seasons.

The Titans desperately need to get some help in the run blocking department, and Love has displayed exceptional run blocking abilities in his collegiate career.

He obviously has some weak areas, but with Mike Munchak's expertise of the position, it shouldn't be a problem developing Love into a solid offensive tackle.

Rd. 4 (130th Overall): Zane Taylor-C (Utah)

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SAN DIEGO - NOVEMBER 20: Running back Matt Asiata #4 and center Zane Taylor #77 of the Utah Utes celebrate Asiata's one yard touchdown run against the San Diego State Aztecs in the fourth quarter at Qualcomm Stadium on November 20, 2010 in San Diego, Ca

The Titans will be pretty busy in the fourth round of the draft, and they'll use back to back picks on the offensive line.

After Kevin Mawae retired from his position at center, the Titans have seemed to be lacking in the area. Eugene Amano just doesn't seem to be the long-term solution at center.

If the Titans were to take Zane Taylor out of Utah, they would be getting a proven leader that has great size and durability.

It's imperative that the Titans begin to build that offensive line for the sake of the new quarterback that will be stepping in to learn a new system.

Rd. 5 (142nd Overall): Ahmad Black-SS (Florida)

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 30: Ahmad Black #35 of the Florida Gators breaks up a pass to Kris Durham #16 of the Georgia Bulldogsduring the game at EverBank Field on October 30, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

The strong safety position isn't anywhere near the biggest area of concern for the Titans, but Chris Hope isn't getting any younger.

In fact, last season Hope seemed to decline considerably in his pass coverage.

It may be time for the Titans to start developing a safety to take Hope's place in the next few seasons.

Ahmad Black is a great tackler and possesses great abilities at getting into position by reading the quarterback's eyes.

He had eight interceptions while at Florida.

He'll obviously need time to develop, but he'll be a solid contributor on special teams until we decide to parts ways with Hope.

This draft class is very weak at strong safety, and Black's physical makeup could easily have him slip all the way down to the fifth round despite being a top five safety in the draft.

Rd. 6 (175th Overall): Steven Friday-DE/OLB (Virginia Tech)

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CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 04: EJ Manuel #3 of the Florida State Seminoles is sacked by Steven Friday #82 of the Virginia Tech Hokies during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 4, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/G

You can go ahead and call this pick a "2 for 1" opportunity, because Steven Friday could end up playing either defensive end or outside linebacker.

The Titans need help in both areas so Friday would be a promising solution to those problems.

Friday had a breakout senior season in 2010 by finishing with nine sacks, 66 tackles, and a forced fumble.

Essentially the Titans would be drafting a guy that could greatly end up contributing to a pass rush that has dropped off a bit over the past few seasons.

Rd. 7 (212th Overall): Rashad Carmichael- CB (Virginia Tech)

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BLACKSBURG, VA - NOVEMBER 04: Cornerback Rashad Carmichael #21 of the Virginia Tech Hokies intercepts a pass in the end zone in the final seconds intended for wide receiver Tyler Melton #84 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Lane Stadium on November 4

We're now getting to the back end of the draft, and sometimes those picks end up being the most valuable. Just look at Cortland Finnegan's selection out of Samford a few seasons ago.

Most scouts agree that Carmichael has above average skills when it comes to attacking the ball in the air for interceptions, which helped lead to his 11 career interceptions as a Hokie.

Obviously the Titans are set at cornerback, but they're one injury away from being shaky at the position. At least one of their nine picks need to be towards a solid backup cornerback, and this would be a good spot in the draft to do that.

Rd. 7 (251st Overall): Christopher Stewart- OG (Notre Dame)

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SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 25: Chris Stewart #59 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish awaits the start of play against the Stanford Cardinal at Notre Dame Stadium on September 25, 2010 in South Bend, Indiana. Stanford defeated Notre Dame 37-14. (Photo by Jona

It's really anyone's guess as to what any team will do this late in the draft, but it's not out of the realm of possibility that Mike Munchak goes for yet another offensive lineman.

This time it would be of the offensive guard variety, and Christopher Stewart played a huge role in Notre Dame's solid run game during his time there.

These late round draft picks are sometimes just as important as the early round draft picks, and Stewart would be a smart pick to close out the draft for the Tennessee Titans.

The Titans would now have plenty of pieces to work with moving forward at offensive line, defensive line, and linebacker while also getting themselves a promising quarterback in Colin Kaepernick.