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NFL Draft 2016: Titans take Heisman winner Derrick Henry in 2nd round

By Patrick Schmidt

Dec 12, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Alabama running back Derrick Henry poses with the Heisman Trophy during a press conference at the New York Marriott Marquis after winning the trophy during the 81st annual Heisman Trophy presentation. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 12, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Alabama running back Derrick Henry poses with the Heisman Trophy during a press conference at the New York Marriott Marquis after winning the trophy during the 81st annual Heisman Trophy presentation. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry was drafted in the second round by the Tennessee Titans.

Being a great college football player doesn’t guarantee you’ll be a coveted NFL prospect when the NFL Draft comes around. That was the case for Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry who slipped out of the first round despite his dominance with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Henry set SEC records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns last year as a junior, but the 6-3, 247-pound running back was not taken in the first round over concerns about his immense size and if he had the lateral agility and quickness to be an NFL back.

Plus, there’s the belief that running backs just aren’t worth taking in the first round any longer. There was only one running back taken in the first with Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott going fourth overall to the Dallas Cowboys.

Henry was the second running back taken, 41 picks after Elliott, with the Tennessee Titans taking a Heisman winner for the second year in a row. Henry joins last year’s No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota to give the Titans a Heisman flavor in their backfield.

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Combined with the trade of DeMarco Murray earlier in the offseason, the Titans have the makings of an impressive backfield that can churn out tough yards on the ground. Henry was at his best at Alabama when he received a heavy workload, including games with 40-plus carries, so it’ll be interesting to see how many touches he gets with Murray around.

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Henry won’t be much of a factor in the passing game on third down but what he can do is come in during the second half and beat up on a tired defense that Murray has fatigued and break off a few long runs and kill the clock to a win.

That’s how the Titans will draw it up anyway.

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