With The 8th Pick In The 2011 Stampede Blue Community Mock Draft, The Tennessee Titans Select...

Blaine Gabbert - QB, Missouri

Pick made by Aerostar193:

This is the worst possible scenario for the Tennesee Titans. Neither of the top two cornerbacks nor Robert Quinn are available, and QB Blaine Gabbert from Missouri simply has too many flaws and question marks to justify taking him in this spot. But in this case, the Titans have no choice. They desperately need to move on from the Vince Young/Kerry Collins era, and since no other best available players fill a need or the system, Gabbert it is. 

For most of the 2010 season, nobody bothered mocking Gabbert into the 2011 Draft. Most assumed that he would come back for his senior season since he had only Missouri's starting QB for two seasons. But Gabbert pulled a surprise move, and decided to put his name into the stock of underwhelming 2011 QB draft prospects. Now, with Andrew Luck returning to Stanford, Gabbert is quickly becoming the consensus top quarterback available in the 2011 NFL Draft.

If the Titans picked him with the eighth pick overall, they would getting a potential franchise signal caller to replace Vince Young. Gabbert possess some of the best arm strength in the draft to go along with great size at 6-5 and 235 lbs. and good mobility. He also possess a quick and fluid release and can be very accurate on short to mid-range passes. But Gabbert also has a few draw backs. Only two years as a starter is fairly inexperienced for such a high pick at quarterback, so he would most likely have to sit and learn behind Collins or another veteran for a while. Gabbert's pocket presence also leaves something to be desired. In addition, Gabbert worked out of a spread offense and didn't have to make many reads, so there are questions on whether or not he can be successful under center in the pros. However, the same questions on working in a spread offense were pegged on Sam Bradford last year, and he turned out pretty well. 

Since Vince Young's release is imminent and Kerry Collins is a free agent, there is a chance that Gabbert would be pushed into a starting role on Day 1 for the Titans. That wouldn't be an ideal situation for Tennessee given Gabbert's inexperience, so they would be wise to either re-sign Collins or look into another veteran like Marc Bulger. If Gabbert does earn a starting position, he has the weapons around him in Kenny Britt, Justin Gage, and Chris Johnson to succeed. But he'll occasionally struggle throughout his careers in the NFL, and those struggles may hold him back from ever being anything more than an average starter in the league.

If Gabbert is taken 8th overall, it'll be the second QB taken in the first round by the Titans in the past 6 years (Vince Young).  Also, it'll be the first Missouri QB taken in the first round since 1977 (Steve Pisarkiewicz), and first QB drafted at all since 1978.

Blaine Gabbert Scouting Report from Mocking the Draft

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