Jay GreesonA month ago, the Tennessee Titans had the No. 1 overall pick in a draft that did not have a clear-cut No. 1 overall player.
Yes, the Titans had a clear need to add a tackle, but the value did not seem clear. Plus, a franchise in need of a talent overhaul had a multitude of needs around franchise quarterback Marcus Mariota.
Enter first-year general manager Jon Robinson and cue the mental images of a mad scientist cloaked in a white lab coat with a cell phone in one hand and a Bunsen beaker in the other.
Robinson sent the No. 1 overall pick to Los Angeles for a slew of picks this year and next, including the Rams' first-round pick next year. (That this gives the Titans fan base even more reason to root against Rams coach Jeff Fisher was just another added bonus.)
Yes, moving to the middle of round one threatened the Titans' chance to get a tackle to help protect Mariota.
What a lot of pundits saw as an obstacle, Robinson turned into an opportunity. He dealt the No. 15, a third-rounder acquired in the deal with the Rams and a second-rounder next year to move into the top 10 and nab tackle Jack Conklin, a player a lot of scouts believe to be the most NFL-ready player in the draft.
Wow.
The draft is a spectacle now, a carnival of talent and chance that sells hope with every pick and potential with every possible trade.
If the successful basis of a good draft is aggressiveness, the key component for a great draft is value. And Robinson has delivered it in full for the Titans.
He added a potential franchise left tackle in Conklin and still has two extra picks today in rounds two and three from the deal with the Rams. Those extra selections can't be overvalued for a team looking to address several areas.
They can look at safety today. They can look at defensive line today. Heck, they could even roll the dice with a risky pick such as Notre Dame Jaylon Smith, who was a top-three talent before thrashing his knee in the bowl game.
It's hard to recognize this Titans bunch, to tell you the truth.
Robinson has breathed excitement and life into a fan base, and that energy and optimism is well-deserved.
The Titans are 5-27 the last two years, yet if they draft well today and next year, they will be a Super Bowl contender in 2017.
They have an eye-popping opportunity in this draft. It is the middle draft of a three-year rebuilding project that could conceivably turn the Titans from laughingstock to contender. That feels funny even to type, and, yes, a lot of that depends on Mariota's growth, but look at the possible talent infusion.
Truly.
Last year's draft was a success. The Titans have a quarterback they believe can be a franchise guy. They added a high-upside receiver last year in Doriel Green Beckham as well as two offensive linemen in center Andy Gillick and tackle Jeremiah Poutasi who started a combined 15 games last year. They found a potential long-term starter in defensive tackle Angelo Blackston and a potential Pro Bowl player in fullback Jalston Fowler. That's a great group around which to build.
Next year, the Titans currently have four picks in the first three rounds, including two first-round choices. That's something to look forward to, for sure.
Today, though, the Titans have a chance to really augment last year's success and set the table for a roster revamp that could - if drafted properly - be reminiscent of what the Cowboys did in the late 1980s and what the Seahawks did five years ago to stockpile the talent to get to two consecutive Super Bowls.
We could look at potential players and holes to fill - and since the Titans have so many, it's a great chance to match need with best available - but it's impossible to know what will be available.
Still, the fact that we should all trust the Titans GM and front office to make the most of this chance may be the best lasting effect from this entire process.
And that's real value.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com. Read his "5-at-10" sports column at timesfreepress.com every Monday through Friday.