The Titans think they made a great pick in the sixth round of last year’s draft. Maybe the second-best sixth-round draft pick in NFL history.
According to David Climer of the Tennessean, Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt and General Manager Ruston Webster think they pulled the steal of the 2014 draft when they chose Zach Mettenberger, and the Titans’ brass sees Mettenberger as a poor team’s Tom Brady.
Climer says that despite talk of the Titans drafting Marcus Mariota at No. 2 (or Jameis Winston if the Bucs pass on him), and despite talk of a trade for Philip Rivers or Jay Cutler, the Titans think Mettenberger has what it takes to be the franchise quarterback. “He’s the quarterback,” Climer writes.
Mettenberger did not play particularly well as a rookie, with eight touchdown passes, seven interceptions and an 83.4 passer rating. It’s hard to see what Mettenberger did in his rookie year to inspire that kind of confidence.
But the Titans seem to like what they’ve seen of Mettenberger’s work ethic and leadership. They may like it enough that they’ll be happy to go into 2015 with Mettenberger as their starter.