Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Images
The Tennessee Titans needed to add a weapon for Marcus Mariota and they accomplished just that with their first pick on Friday. The Titans selected former Oklahoma and Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham with the No. 40 pick in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Tennessee started the day with the first pick in the second round (33 overall), but quickly traded back with the New York Giants and picked up an extra third and seventh-round pick in the process. Green-Beckham was one of the more intriguing players left on draft boards, and a player that was as polarizing as any in the entire draft.
Based on pure talent alone, there is no doubt Green-Beckham is a first-round pick, maybe even a top-10 pick. He’s 6-foot-6, runs a sub-4.5 40-yard dash and is as smooth and explosive of an athlete as you could ever find at that size. The issue with the extremely talented receiver is that he’s been a huge headache off the field.
Green-Beckham missed two games due to suspension in his freshman season after he was arrested for drug possession. He dominated once he returned later that season, and then had a stellar sophomore campaign before his dismissal from the team in April 2014 because of his involvement in a domestic violence investigation.
He could very well end up being a Pro Bowl caliber player for the Titans, but I don’t think he was worth the risk. Another big and powerful wide receiver was still remaining on the board in Arizona State wide receiver Jaelen Strong. A rebuilding team like the Titans would have been much better off making the safe pick and taking Strong if they had their eyes set on a pass catcher.
