A Stretch at 8

Okay so the NFL draft was a week ago and I am just barely giving you my thoughts, I have had a busy week at work, not to mention I had to squeeze in a round of 18 on the course yesterday.

So here it is, with the 8th overall pick in the NFL draft the Tennessee Titans select the overrated and yet to live up to the hype quarterback out of Washington University, Jake Locker. Mr. Jake Locker busted on to the college football landscape as a freshman when he threw for 2062 yards and 14 touchdowns (15 INT), and rushed for an additional 986 yards and 13 touchdowns, earning freshman All-American and PAC-10 freshman of the year honors. Locker gave the University hope for the future, even after the team finished the 2007 season with a 4-9 overall record (only 2-7 in the conference). The following season (2008) Locker only played in 4 games before being sidelined due to a broken thumb, Washington finished the season 0-12, including the 4 games Locker started. Steve Sarkisian (former BYU player, believe me this post could have been littered with reference to BYU) took over as head coach of the Washington football program in 2009, and many felt with a healthy Locker the program would do well. Locker had his best passing season with a QB rating of 129.7, which was helped by throwing for 2800 yards, 21 touchdowns (11 INT) and running for 7 more: however, the team finished the season with an overall record of 5-7. Many thought Locker would jump to the NFL after his junior season, but Locker stayed and became a pre-season Heisman Trophy favorite. In 2010 the Washington Huskies finished the season 7-6, and Locker saw his numbers drop from his 2009 performance (2265 17 TD, 9 INT), and Locker fell out of Heisman Trophy talks after his first game of the season.

Don’t get me wrong, Locker has the 6’3 frame and is a tremendous athlete (in addition to being an NFL quarterback, Locker was also considered a top baseball prospect in 2008 when he played outfield for the Bellingham Bells of the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League), but deserving of an 8th overall pick in the draft, and for a franchise that has recently been through the failure known as Vince Young, I am not sure Locker was the right choice. I wish the kid the best in his professional career, and one can hope that he will blossom in the NFL.

I also feel that by taking Locker at 8 the Titans initiated the selection of other quarterbacks in the first round who should have been selected in the second or third round.

Dear Mr. Locker maybe you and Tony Romo can hang out! (see "Not so Elite Royalty" April post)

Jake