Titans’ late first-round picks include All-Pros and an all-time bust
The Titans have never previously owned the 25th overall pick in the NFL draft, which begins Thursday night.
But they’ve selected lower than that in the first round on three occasions, with varying degrees of success, since the franchise rebranded in 1999.
Two of those selections rate among the best and worst first-round picks in Titans history.
BEST Keith Bulluck, linebacker
Bulluck was drafted 30th overall out
of Syracuse in 2000. The 6-foot-3, 235pound linebacker played 11 NFL seasons, including his first 10 with the Titans, and was named an All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2003.
Bulluck had the best career of any player drafted by the Titans in the first round since 1999, edging All-Pro running back Chris Johnson (notably, for our purposes here, selected 24th overall in 2008) and All-Pro defensive end Jevon Kearse (16th in ’99), according to the “weighted career approximate value” metric used by Pro Football Reference. Bulluck recorded 1,087 tackles, 18 sacks, 71 pass breakups, 21 interceptions, 15 forced fumbles, 13 fumble recoveries and five touchdowns in 170 career games, 138 of them starts. He was a mainstay in the Titans’ starting defense for eight years, before spending his final season with the Giants.
Andre Woolfolk, defensive back
Woolfolk was drafted 28th overall out of Oklahoma in 2003. The 6-2, 197pound cornerback started just 12 games over four NFL seasons, missing time each year because of injuries.
Woolfolk had three career interceptions, curiously all off David Carr, 131 tackles, 18 pass breakups, a forced fumble and fumble recovery in 39 career games. Woolfolk signed with the Jets in 2008, after a year out of football, but never appeared in another game. He frequently is cited among the league’s all-time biggest first-round busts.
MIDDLE OF THE PACK Kenny Britt, wide receiver
Britt was drafted 30th overall out of Rutgers in 2009. The 6-3, 215-pound receiver spent his first five seasons with the Titans and was showing promise – he had 99 catches for 1,765 yards and 15 touchdowns – before blowing out a knee in 2011.
Britt then was suspended for the first game of the 2012 season because of several incidents involving police and managed a paltry 11 catches (on 35 targets) for 96 yards in 12 games in 2013. Now a member of the Patriots, he’s entering his 10th season in the NFL. He’s also played for the Rams and Browns, and recorded his first 1,000yard season with Los Angeles in 2016.
Britt is rated eighth out of 18 players selected in the first round by the Titans, according to his weighted career average, just ahead of quarterback Marcus Mariota, who’s placement on the list is skewed because he’s entering only his fourth season.
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