2012 MHR Community Mock Draft: Tennessee Titans Select Whitney Mercilus, Defensive End, Illinois

With the 20th pick in the 2012 MHR Community Mock draft, the Tennessee Titans select:

Whitney Mercilus, Defensive End, Illinois

Titans' GM: zclayro

GM Explanation: In a perfect world the Titan's would trade back a small handful of stops and acquire picks as the holes in this roster will not be filled as the team stands now in the draft. There are a number of directions to go right here and quality players available for each (minus cornerback) but value for these players would be more accurate in the mid 20s. As GM I would pick Peter Konz right here. Having the center getting knocked down on nearly every play does nothing to benefit CJ, an aging Hasselback or a young Locker. Unfortunately my off-the-rocker owner has guaranteed that no OL will be taken early in the draft. This changes the direction to pass rush and putting a body opposite Wimbley on the line. Enter Whitney Mercilus.

The potential "one year wonder" tag is what is keeping Mercilus from being a top 10 pick. Mercilus' combination of tremendous physical ability and mental capacity can be a rarity amongst college talent and the fact that he rarely comes off the field in any situation is an added bonus. Mercilus has some work to doin fine tuning his game and making adjustments to the talent levels in the NFL, but a solid bull rush and efficient swim moves is more than enough to get him on the field and hopefully into the opposing backfield in the meantime. As the GM, I am confident that drafting Whitney Mercilus to the Titan's will improve the team, just I would rather be drafting him closer to in the 24-28 range, especially considering the other talent still available.

Commissioner's Analysis: The Titans desperately needed to add pass rushers, but they did pay big money to Kamerion Wimbley when he was released by the Raiders, and they still have former first round pick Derrick Morgan in the fold. That said, you can never really have enough pass rushers, so Mercilus is a pick that would make some sense to me. He led the nation in sacks and has a great motor, so he'd fit right in with the Titans. With Gilmore and Kirkpatrick flying off the board already here, the value might not be there for the corner back position.

Draft Recap:

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

3. Minnesota Vikings: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

4. Cleveland Browns: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

6. St. Louis Rams: Matt Kalil, OT, USC

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

8. Miami Dolphins: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

9. Carolina Panthers: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

10. Buffalo Bills: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

11. Kansas City Chiefs: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

12. Seattle Seahawks: Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina

13. Arizona Cardinals: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

14. Dallas Cowboys: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Mark Barron, S, Alabama

16. New York Jets: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

18. San Diego Chargers: Dre' Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

19. Chicago Bears: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

20. Tennessee Titans: Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois

On the clock...Cincinnati Bengals (Vancezack)