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Following a rough season in 2012, the Tennessee Titans needed to make a splash during the 2013 NFL Draft as they attempt to avoid fielding the worst scoring offense in the league again.
The Titans made the first move by adding Alabama guard Chance Warmack with the No. 10 overall pick in the draft. At the start of Day 2, Tennessee moved up the draft, trading their 2013 second- and seventh-round picks and a 2014 third-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers to snag Tennessee wide receiver Justin Hunter with the No. 34 overall pick.
While he didn’t display the flashiness that teammate Cordarrelle Patterson showed, Hunter put up the type of production that NFL teams are looking for. He’s a big-bodied target with a tremendous catch radius. He runs routes well and does a great job of using his body to make catches.
As he starts out with the Titans, Hunter is going to have to do a better job of playing with confidence. Throughout his college career, he dropped several balls when he heard footsteps and failed to be a huge threat after the catch. If he can get stronger and fill out his frame when he hits the weight room, Hunter shouldn’t have too much trouble adjusting to life in the NFL.
With Hunter in the picture, the Titans have given quarterback Jake Locker plenty of weapons to work with in a make-or-break year for the young gunslinger. On top of receivers Kenny Britt and Kendall Wright, Hunter brings consistency and production on the outside that should help the Titans field a much better passing game in 2013.
There’s still plenty that Hunter can improve on as he transitions to the NFL, but he has the potential to make an instant impact for the Titans. If Locker can’t find a way to produce with this vastly upgraded receiving corps, this could be his last season as the No. 1 passer in Tennessee.
Either way, Hunter stays local and should be a great fit for the Titans’ passing attack.
Gil Alcaraz IV is a Content Planner/NFL Featured Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @GilAlcarazIV, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
