Titans' draft plans a big mystery

The NFL Draft is less than two weeks away.

Do you know where your No. 1 pick is?

According to various draft mockeries, insider misinformation, idle gossip and Ouija boards, the Titans plan to use their first-round pick on a defensive end.

Or a running back.

Or a wide receiver.

Or none of the above.

Welcome to Draft '08. Pick a player and pick your poison.

The Titans don't select until the 24th spot, which means there will be plenty of time to agonize over the coveted names that will be flying off the board.

But there will still be plenty of talent available when No. 24 rolls around. Where will the Titans turn?

If you chart this franchise's first-round picks through the years, it becomes clear that the Titans draft based on potential. Except in the years when they draft for need. Or the years when they seem to be throwing darts at the draft board.

I'm still pushing for a wide receiver in the first round, even though that goes against everything the Titans stand for. It's been a decade since they last used a first-round pick on a wideout.

This could be the year, although the top five wide receivers in the draft class come equipped with red flags.

Malcolm Kelly is a head case who whined about the site of his workout for scouts.

Limas Sweed is coming off a significant wrist injury.

Devin Thomas runs lousy pass routes.

DeSean Jackson isn't big enough to withstand NFL punishment.

Mario Manningham is an admitted doper with some motivation issues.

At the same time, there are whispers that the Titans are in the market for a running back, perhaps even in the first round. What gives? In each of the previous two drafts, they have spent second-round picks on running backs - LenDale White in 2006 and Chris Henry in '07.

As a second-year player, White emerged as a dependable - if less than sensational - running back. As for Henry, his biggest impact thus far was on the receiving end of a devastating hit by Indianapolis' Darrell Reid on a kickoff return.

If the Titans go for a back in the first two rounds, it will be an admission that they're not convinced they got it right with either White or Henry. And the Titans don't like to admit such things, so don't expect them to go the running back route.

Considering their position in the picking process, the Titans should just take the best available player - which is what they say they always do, even if they don't.

David Climer is a senior writer for The Tennessean. Reach him at dclimer@tennessean.com.