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With the 11th pick in Pride Of Detroit's 2014 NFL mock draft, the Tennessee Titans select Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans. Detroit_fan is serving as the Titans' general manager, and his reasoning for the pick is below.
The Tennessee Titans are in a transition period -- they have a new coaching staff, a new owner and they have parted ways with longtime RB Chris Johnson. I'll start by saying that if Anthony Barr was still there, he was the pick, but that wasn't the case. With Barr off the board I looked to BPA, and if that BPA would solve a need for the Titans, and I believe it does. Titans QB Jake Locker has been hampered by injuries and a lack of offensive weapons, so it's time to surround him with some talent and see if he can get the job done or if the Titans need to move on.
The Titans have invested some picks into the WR position recently, but with the departure of Kenny Britt and the fact that Nate Washington is entering his 10th season, the thought of adding Mike Evans to this group was just too tempting to pass up. Evans has all the tools to make a quarterback's job easier -- he is a physically imposing 6'5 and 231 pounds, has a monstrous catch radius and is an excellent red-zone target. His body is ready for the NFL now, and he possesses all the skills necessary to be a very physical receiver who can make an immediate impact.
Drafting Evans gives the Titans the ability to line up Evans and Justin Hunter (6'5 and 6'4, respectively) on the outside, while moving Kendall Wright to the slot and having the flexibility to use Dexter McCluster out of the backfield. This set of offensive players should provide Locker with plenty of talent to get the ball to, and if Locker can't get the job done, the next QB will come into a situation with a good set of skill players and a good opportunity to succeed.
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Check out the 2014 POD Community Mock Draft tracker for a look at all of the picks.