2012 Phinsider Community NFL Mock Draft - Pick 20, Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are on the clock. They could be looking any number of ways, including wide receiver, linebacker, or cornerback. There's also a chance they could be looking for a running back after the sub-par performance Chris Johnson had most of last year.

Oh, it looks like the Commissioner is ready to announce the pick. Let's look at the team and the past pocks before he makes the announcement.

Team: Tennessee Titans
GM: BSerious72

And now, let's hear from the Commissioner.

With the 20th overall pick in the 2012 Phinsider Community NFL Mock Draft, the Tennessee Titans select:

From BSerious72:

The Titans looked to find some absolute firepower by entering the Peyton Manning sweepstakes. However, like the Dolphins, they came up a bit short. The Titans will likely stay with Hasselbeck and Locker at QB and look to upgrade their defense with the 20th pick in April's draft. The Titans can use some defensive attitude up front, and that is why as GM of the Titans, I select Nick Perry, DE, out of the University of Southern California.

Perry led the Pac-12 in sacks and his stock skyrocketed in the combine where his natural athleticism took center stage.His vertical leap of 38.5" ranked up there with the top wide receivers. Perry is projected as a "hybrid" LB/DE best fit for a 3-4 scheme, and I look for Perry to fit in at DE and also provide some occasional presence at outside linebacker. He has good reaction time, explosive first step, a disruptive arsenal of moves, and a powerful upper body to explode through lineman or cause a holding penalty. In fact, Perry himself has stated that he would like to play at the line, and has packed on 10 pounds. If he can handle the conditioning at that position, he may in fact be the best overall pass rusher in the draft.

The Titans made a big splash by signing Kameron Wimbley, but besides him the only true end they have on the roster is Derrick Morgan. Perry can instantly contribute, and provide the Titans with alot of depth and options at the DL/LB position. His explosive nature will terrorize quarterbacks, running backs and offensive linemen, alike.

Welcome to Tennessee Mr. Perry.

From Walter Football:

Projected Round (2012): 1-2.

3/14/12: At the Combine, Perry showed up 15-20 pounds heavier than his listed weight in college. He illustrated that it was good weight as he had one of the better bench-press totals among the defensive linemen. Perry then blazed a ridiculously fast 40 time and showed explosion in the other drills.

In the field workouts at the Combine and his pro day, Perry looked rather stiff and he doesn't look like a good fit in a 3-4 defense at the next level. Perry could be forced into a 3-4, but he will need some time to learn the position and should drop some bulk to be more fluid.

Perry really improved his performance from 2010. He finished the 2011 season on on a tear with 5.5 sacks in four games. Perry battled well against Stanford offensive tackle Jonathan Martin even though he didn't have a sack in the game. As the year wore on, Perry simply got better. He is lightning off the snap, and his speed to turn the corner and cut back to the inside overwhelms offensive tackles. Perry has a good repertoire of moves, and the only thing lacking from his game is more bulk and strength.

The redshirt junior totaled 54 tackles with 9.5 sacks, 13 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles and two passes batted in 2011. If Perry had decided to return for his senior season and continued to improve under Monte Kiffin before going pro, he could have been a high first-round pick in 2013.

8/21/11: Nick Perry broke out with eight sacks as a freshman. Last year, his numbers dipped to four sacks and 7.5 tackles for a loss. At his current size and weight, he would probably be better served as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin flipped Perry from right to left defensive end last year. If he stays at end as a professional, he should add some more bulk. Perry needs to improve his production in 2011 to get his draft status going in the right direction.