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The Tennessee Titans took a chance on quarterback Jake Locker when they selected him with the eighth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, the gamble has yet to pay off as Locker has failed to impress after two seasons in the league. Will the 25-year-old finally be able to step up his game in 2013 and become the signal caller everyone in Tennessee hopes he can be?
If all Locker needed to get it together was a wakeup call, he should not have to look any further than ESPN’s Ron Jaworski. The NFL analyst ranked Locker No. 31 out of a possible 32 starting quarterbacks in the league heading into the season.
“Number 31 on my quarterback countdown is Jake Locker,” Jaws said during the ESPN segment. “2013 will be Locker’s third season with the Titans. Up to this point, he has not shown enough to warrant his selection as the eighth overall pick in the 2011 Draft. The question is: what can Locker become at his very best?”
Jaworski’s question at the end of his statement is an interesting one. There is no question Locker has the potential to be a very talented quarterback who can lead his team to the playoffs. However, will he ever reach his peak and become the very best he can be?
The Titans brought in a new quarterback coach in the hopes that Dave Ragone will be able to get Locker to come out of his shell. The good news is Ragone has already seen improvements in Locker’s performance this summer. He also believes that the signal caller will be able to excel in the new offensive system.
“I think overall in a new system what he has done a good job of is he has gone and he has really grasped it,” Ragone told TitansOnline.com. “He owns it and goes out there, and he is plays fast. In terms of improvement, it is tough because it is a new system, but in terms of fundamentals and all that, he has extremely worked hard on that. What he does is go out there right now, he is playing fast, and he is playing confident and I think the rest of the guys see that.”
Tennessee will certainly have their hands full in the competitive AFC South. It is imperative that Locker work harder than he ever has before in order to prepare himself, as well as, his team to become legitimate contenders for a postseason berth.
