With the Eighth Pick in the 2011 Dawgs By Nature Mock Draft, the Tennessee Titans Select...

With the eighth pick in the 2011 Dawgs By Nature Community Mock Draft, the Tennessee Titans select...

Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M

This selection and write-up was made by iwearmocs:

It's the end of several eras in Tennessee. No more Jeff Fisher as head coach. No more Vince Young at QB. And the defense is no longer one of the Titans' strengths. They still have Chris Johnson, and a decent-to-good offensive line, but they don't want to waste CJ's prime so a win-now type of pick is required here in the first round. With several holes to fill, I think the Titans need to patch up their defensive front first, then look for a QB to develop in the later rounds a la Colt McCoy. Kerry Collins has been the part-time starter for a couple of seasons now due to VY's injury problems and mental meltdowns, so having him start for another year or two while they groom a Jake Locker type QB wouldn't be a huge problem.

Fairly is still on the board, but I think the Titans front office got fed up with another recent DT (Haynesworth) and aren't going to put up with him. Quinn is an intriguing pick that could help right away, but he seems to be considered a notch below by the experts, and I think the Titans would be better off re-signing some of their own FA's like Justin Babin. Gabbert is also still in play, and I thought about picking him but with no idea how the offseason is going to play out, a first round QB could face the usual pressure but with even less time to prepare. Linebacker is Tennessee's biggest need, and Miller fills that hole nicely. Plus, he has the flexibility to play end or linebacker, and with the Titans rumored move to a 3-4, he could start from day one.

Von Miller will start from the beginning, and he should at worst be an average NFL linebacker. While he could turn into Vernon Gholston 2.0 and bust, he has all the physical skills to succeed in the NFL, and at least he has put it together on the field, winning the Butkus award despite some injury problems. The sky is the limit for Miller, and the Titans would be ecstatic to pick him.

How crazy was the quick downhill spiral of the Tennessee Titans last season? At one point, they are rolling with Jeff Fisher, Vince Young, Chris Johnson, and the sudden acquisition of Randy Moss. Now their long-time head coach is gone, Young is no longer a part of the franchise, and Moss might have trouble finding another team. The Titans are the type of team that seems to be starting on a clean slate, and I think they'll look at how the St. Louis Rams were able to contend with a rookie quarterback, no receivers, and a great running back, and try to do the same thing with Blaine Gabbert. Miller is the draft's highest-rated linebacker though, and if Tennessee doesn't decide to take a quarterback, he seems like the best defensive choice for them.

The Dallas Cowboys are on the clock next (email has been sent to Granville74).