Tennessee Titans: Kendall Wright, Nate Washington and Other Small WRs Will Be Crucial to Jake Locker's Development

By Raj Prashad
Senior Writer

Heading into the 2012 NFL regular season, the Tennessee Titans had two options– stay with veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck or begin the youth movement with Jake Locker.

They chose the younger, more agile Locker and will reap the benefits he’s expected to distribute to an up-and-coming group of receivers.

Following up on career years for tight end Jared Cook and receivers Nate Washington, Damian Williams and Lavelle Hawkins, the Titans have added rookie pass catcher Kendall Wright and are expected to get Kenny Britt back at some point this year.

Despite the receiving corps lack of height, their inclusion in the offense will be vital to Locker’s development.

Similar to the New England Patriots’ style of offense, where they utilize two-tight end sets with receivers on the outside and a speedy slot guy, the Titans have a plan in place to turn what was once a ground-and-pound offense into the a modern day high-octane offense.

We saw Cook make the leap last season following two years of questions concerning his development. After combining for only 435 yards in his first two seasons, he caught 49 passes for 759 yards and three touchdowns in 2011.

By drafting Taylor Thompson, Tennessee gives themselves another big, fast tight end who can stretch the field and exploit mismatches if they are successful in his development.

As a developing quarterback, Locker is expected to rely heavily on his tight ends, as well as speedy, underneath receivers.

While Britt remains the massive downfield threat standing at 6’3″, he’s the tallest receiver on the team. His size will be important to the Titans’ red zone efficiency, something they were very successful at in 2011. Tennessee ranked No. 5, just behind New England, succeeding in 59 percent of their red zone attempts.

Wright, Washington and Williams will be used to run the short, intermediate routes. But unlike other teams with explosive receivers, this group can turn the five-yard reception into a 30-yard touchdown in an instant.