Looking Back on the 2003 NFL Draft

Former Tennessee Titans GM Floyd Reese with newly-drafted cornerback Andre Woolfolk

The year is 2003. The Tennessee Titans are just coming off of a year which saw them lose in the AFL Championship game to the Oakland Raiders and they have the 28th pick in the draft. Eddie George is wearing down and behind Derrick Mason, there really are no proven wide receivers.

So who do the Titans pick with their precious first round selection? Andre Woolfolk out of Oklahoma. A cornerback that had been a wide receiver his entire career. He had one year of experience playing cornerback.

The other cornerbacks available at pick 28 are are Charles Tillman, Eugene Wilson, both are starting for their respective teams. Woolfolk has never held on to a starting position.

What running backs were available? Well Larry Johnson went one pick earlier to the Kansas City Cheifs. What a pick that turned out to be. One has to think that had he been available, the Titans would not have passed up on him. Of course, the need for a running back due to Preist Holme's potentially career-ending hip injury was apparent. And it was not out of the realm of possibility to trade up a couple of picks with San Francisco (the 49'ers took OT Kwame Harris with the 26th pick) or New York (pick 25 DT William Joseph). Both of them would've been able to draft their desired player with the 28th pick.

Or they could've addressed their other need, wide receiver. Bethel Johnson, Taylor Jacobs, and Anquan Bolden were all available.

But they filled the hole at wide receiver with their next pick, Tyrone Calico out of MTSU. The wide receivers available when the Titans selected Calico? Kelley Washington, Nate Burleson, and Kevin Curtis who paid a visit to the Titans this offseason before signing eventually with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Flash forward to 2007. Tyrone Calico is not on a roster after the Titans cut him last summer.
And today they announced that they had placed Andre Woolfolk on injured reserve after evaluation of a hamstring issue showed that it was going to take some time to heal. The Titans hope to reach an injury settlement with Woolfolk and release him.

This season will tell if the Titans' third pick in that draft will pan out. Chris Brown signed a one-year extension with the Titans and is competing with last year's second round pick Lendale White for the starting job.

Oh, and the man who made these incredible picks, General Manager Floyd Reese? He is now an analyst with ESPN. Thanks Floyd. At least you gave us Vince Young before you skipped town.