Beyond the spotlight of the first round, here are legendary talents who transformed the franchise. Discover the elite draft steals who defined Tennessee football.
The Tennessee Titans had their first season in 1999.
The franchise has had legends on both sides of the ball. It started with Eddie George, Steve McNair, Derrick Mason, Jevon Kearse, Keith Bulluck, Blaine Bishop, and many others.
A recent article from PFF piqued my interest. It highlighted the best NFL draft picks outside of the first round since 2016. Former Titans Derrick Henry and Kevin Byard were on the list.
Henry was a second-round pick in 2016, and Byard was selected in the third round of that same year.
It got me thinking about other Titans picks in franchise history who weren't in the first round and turned out to be hidden gems. I excluded Henry and Byard from my list since they were previously mentioned in the PFF article, and I also kept out undrafted free agents.
I picked two players on defense and offense that I believe exceeded expectations when they played for the Titans.
Without further ado, here's my list of the top non-first-round draft picks in Titans history since 1999:
DT Jurrell Casey, USC
The Titans took Jurrell Casey in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of USC.
He didn't finish his career with the Titans but still had a massive impact on the franchise. Before Jeffery Simmons, there was Casey.
Excluding Houston Oilers history, Casey has the second-most sacks (51) in Titans history. He is also the all-time leader in TFLs with 84 from 2011-19.
He went to five Pro Bowls and held down the interior of the Titans' defensive line for many years. Casey is the definition of a hidden gem.
CB Jason McCourty, Rutgers
I'm sticking with defense for my second pick and going with Jason McCourty, who the Titans selected from Rutgers in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
McCourty was very consistent for the Titans, yet he was never voted to a Pro Bowl. He was with the franchise from 2009-2016. His best season with the franchise was in 2012, when he recorded 92 total tackles, four interceptions, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
He eventually left the Titans for the Cleveland Browns in 2017, before joining the New England Patriots in 2018. McCourty won a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots in 2018.
LT Michael Roos, Eastern Washington
Next, I'm going with the offensive line.
Michael Roos was a second-round pick from Eastern Washington in the 2005 NFL Draft. Little did the Titans know they had found their starting left tackle for the next 10 seasons.
Roos ended his Titans career with 148 starts in 148 games and was a Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro in 2008. Roos held down the position before Taylor Lewan came into the picture.
He set the standard for left tackle.
WR A.J Brown, Ole Miss
It pains me to say it, but A.J. Brown was so good during his short stint with the Titans that it's hard to keep him off this list.
Brown was a second-round pick from Ole Miss in the 2019 NFL Draft, the same one in which the Titans also selected Simmons and Amani Hooker.
He had two 1,000-yard seasons in his first two years in the league and finished third in voting for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019. Injuries kept him from reaching 1,000 yards again in 2021.
Then, there was that infamous trade with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022. That 2021 season has been the only one where Brown hasn't finished with over 1,000 yards.
He has his baggage, but Brown is consistent to say the least.
