Defense end Tim Fugger goes in seventh round to Colts

Vanderbilt All-America defensive back Casey Hayward's dream of playing professional football drew closer to reality late Friday when he was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the second round (No. 62 overall) of the NFL Draft.

Hayward, a product of Perry, Ga., becomes the highest Commodore player taken in the NFL Draft since 2008 when the Chicago Bears picked Vanderbilt offensive lineman Chris Williams 14th overall.

Defensive end Tim Fugger became the second Vanderbilt defensive player taken in the NFL Draft when he was selected in the seventh round by Indianapolis on Saturday.

Vanderbilt Head Coach James Franklin said Hayward was a very deserving selection for the Packers.

"I couldn't be happier for Casey. He's a tremendous young man and a great football player who put together a remarkable season and career for our program," Franklin said. "Casey has great football instincts and makes a ton of big plays. He performed at a very high level at the highest level of college football. He also was a pleasure to coach, a guy that would do whatever was needed to help the Commodores win."

To draft Hayward, Green Bay traded its third and fifth-round picks to move up into the second round. Hayward is the first Commodore selected by Green Bay since Hunter Hillenmeyer in 2003.

As a three-year starter, Hayward was also one of the nation's most productive defensive backs. He ended his career tied for the Vanderbilt career record with 15 interceptions. He also holds Commodore single-season and career records for passes defended.

Hayward also was a highly-decorated standout. As a senior, Hayward became the first Commodore to receive All-America honors since defensive back D.J. Moore in 2008. He was named a second team All-America by the Walter Camp Foundation, Rivals.com and Yahoo! Sports.

Hayward also was voted twice as an All-Southeastern Conference defensive back.

As a defensive co-captain in 2011, Hayward ranked fourth in the NCAA with seven interceptions. His role as a cover cornerback helped the 2011 Commodore defense post stunning improvement in the short span of one season, finishing the year among the nation's top 25 units.

During his senior campaign, Hayward made several stellar plays that helped the Commodores reach the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Early in the year, his 50-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter allowed Vanderbilt to tie Connecticut and helped set the stage for a last-minute Commodore victory. He also posted a pair of interceptions at South Carolina and against Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl.

Several other Vanderbilt seniors are likely to get selected as the draft continues through Saturday from Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Fugger, a product of Oak Brook, Illinois near Chicago, put together his best season as a senior, setting numerous single-season highs to spark the Commodores to a postseason appearance in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

As a senior, Fugger posted eight quarterback sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss among 33 total tackles. Fugger also forced three fumbles, pushing his career total to eight forced fumbles.

Fugger becomes the second Commodore selected in the 2012 NFL Draft. Defensive teammate cornerback Casey Hayward was taken by Green Bay (2nd round).

This marks the first time in two years that multiple Commodores heard their name called in the player draft. In 2010, defensive back Myron Lewis and offensive lineman Thomas Welch were selected. The most Vanderbilt prospects selected since the NFL Draft was shortened to seven rounds came in 2001 when linebackers Jamie Winborn and Matt Stewart, placekicker John Markham and defensive back Jimmy Williams were taken.

Vanderbilt Head Coach James Franklin praised Fugger's combination of athleticism and intensity.

"Tim Fugger is going to give a coaching staff everything he has," Franklin said. "Coaches love players like Tim Fugger, guys that just go extremely hard every play. Tim is extremely athletic and possesses a great combination of speed, quickness and strength."

Fugger's athleticism on display at Vanderbilt's Pro Day in early April impressed many scouts. Several NFL evaluators thought enough of his versatility to ponder Fugger as a linebacker in 3-4 schemes.

Southeastern Conference coaches also were impressed by Fugger's performance as a senior, naming him as a Coaches' second team All-SEC defensive lineman.

Fugger started 31 games at defensive end for the Commodores, including the last 16 games of his career. In addition to forcing eight turnovers, Fugger concluded his Vanderbilt career with 12 quarterback sacks and 20 tackles for loss.

VUCommodores.com Football

By CRAIG PETERS, Titans Online

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Questing to upgrade the Titans’ roster, Ruston Webster thought it was time to move up.

Webster, who on Saturday completed his first NFL Draft as Titans general manager, made his first draft-day trade. Tennessee vaulted up 10 spots to Miami’s original 145th overall turn in the fifth round at the cost of the Titans’ original selecting positions in the fifth and seventh rounds.

He and the Titans, however, quickly reclaimed a seventh-round spot that was 16 notches ahead of where Tennessee would have picked by dealing a sixth-round slot in next year’s draft to Minnesota.

The Titans started the third and final day of the draft by tabbing Clemson cornerback Coty Sensabaugh at 115th overall in the fourth round. Tennessee capitalized on trading up in the fifth round to add Taylor Thompson, who played defensive end at Southern Methodist but entered the draft at tight end, the position at which he garnered all-state status as a prep athlete in Texas.

The Titans added Oklahoma State safety Markelle Martin with the 190th pick in the sixth round and finished the selection process with Rice defensive end Scott Solomon at the 211th spot in the seventh round.

Webster and second-year Titans coach Mike Munchak said the overarching theme of this year’s draft was speed. Tennessee’s first six picks—Baylor receiver Kendall Wright, North Carolina linebacker Zach Brown, Michigan defensive tackle Mike Martin, Sensabaugh, Thompson and Markelle Martin all have drawn praise for their fleet feet at their respective positions.

“I think we got a lot faster,” Munchak said. “I think (defensive coordinator) Jerry (Gray) talked about it with Brown. We know Kendall Wright and the quickness and the speed that he brings to it. (Mike) Martin is a nose tackle that runs a 4.8. The corner (Sensabaugh) is a 4.3 guy and the tight end (Thompson) runs a 4.6 or less. We definitely brought a lot of speed and a lot of guys that loved the game.”

Solomon, meanwhile, also has a 40-yard dash time under 4.8 seconds, but is more known for his strength. He bench pressed 225 pounds 40 times, and has a 421-pound power clean, 500-pound bench press and 600-pound squat to his credit.

Webster said the qualities that scouts and coaches saw in Thompson and Solomon made the trades worth it. He also said he expects that Tennessee will have compensatory picks in 2013 to make up for free agents who leave and sign elsewhere after the 2012 season.

Webster and the Titans used a sliding scale of six players that could fit with each round’s choice and subbed added players into the mix when teams ahead of the Titans took the players off the board. Webster said a couple of guys the Titans had in their mix of six were drafted earlier in the fifth round, so he wanted to make the deal.

“There were some guys, I think, without naming names, that’s the thing about picking 20, you get into that do I trade up and go get this guy that I really want or do I wait knowing we have a good pool of players there and keep the pick in the next round or whatever,” Webster said. “That’s the dilemma. I think by the time we drafted Taylor Thompson I was tired of some of that happening and we moved up.”

TENNESSEE NATIVE JOINS TITANS: Sensabaugh, who played at Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, Tenn., said he looked forward to the opportunity to play for the team in his home state. Sensabaugh is the first Tennessee native drafted by the Titans since defensive end Jacob Ford, a native of Memphis, in 2007.

The Titans, which began in 1960 as the Houston Oilers, chose Texas natives with their first, fifth, sixth and seventh picks.

THOMPSON PLAYS THROUGH POSITION CHANGE: Thompson originally committed to Vanderbilt, but decided he wanted to go to school closer to his hometown of Prosper, Texas. SMU hired June Jones as coach after Thompson committed, and Jones incorporated a spread offense that didn’t utilize the tight end position. Thompson switched to defensive end to stay on the field and helped the Mustangs break a 25-year bowl drought in 2009 and return to bowl games the next two seasons.

Thompson thinks his time as a defensive end will only help as he goes back to the tight end post.

“Since I played defensive end for the past four years in college, I kind of have the mindset of the opponent,” Thompson said. “That’s a huge thing in football, to understand the enemy. I have that athletic side of me that I can bring to offense that I can really be an aggressive and athletic tight end to help make plays in the pass game and in the run game.”

TITANS FIND VALUE IN LATE ROUNDS: Tennessee believes it did quite well in landing Markelle Martin and Solomon as late in the draft as it did.

Martin started all 37 games of his final three years at Oklahoma State, but tore his meniscus after the Senior Bowl. He had surgery on the injury, but not enough time to recover for the pre-draft combine, when many physical attributes are measured.

“In the beginning I knew I was going to drop a couple of rounds, but to drop so far, I had no idea,” he said. “As the rounds started to go by, I texted my agent and he told me it was probably because of the knee. It’s something I understand and am OK with. I’d rather it be something that can be fixed than something you can’t fix. My knee can be fixed. I can really get back to 100 percent, so I would rather slip for something like that than for some other issue.”

Martin recorded 74 tackles (55 solo) and broke up 11 passes during his senior season that the Cowboys concluded by defeating Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl.

Webster said the Titans debated between Martin and Solomon in the sixth round before deciding to claim the safety, and then traded into the seventh because Solomon was still available.

Solomon missed the 2010 season but returned with vengeance in 2011 to post a career-best 8.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. He vowed to be “relentless” in his pursuit of quarterbacks and a roster spot.

The past three seventh-round players taken by Tennessee — Marc Mariani in 2010, and Zach Clayton and Tommie Campbell in 2011 — earned spots on the Titans’ active roster.

“I’m going to be a ball of fire in there doing everything I can to help the team out and to be a contributor in any way I can, Solomon said. “I wasn’t familiar with (the success of previous seventh rounders), but (I’m) definitely encouraged now. Hopefully my great attitude will help me get that roster spot.”

JOB INTERVIEWS: Teams are allowed a maximum of 30 visits by players in the time that leads up to the draft. Munchak said the Titans tried to capitalize on each trip by having the visitor meet with multiple departments at Baptist Sports Park.

“That’s one thing that is nice that we’ve set up is that the guys that come into this building spend time with everyone in the building from the PR department, to the front office, to the coaches, so you get a chance to get a feel for these guys other than just their athletic ability,” Munchak said. “I think that’s what is encouraging. We got some guys who love to play, some guys who bring a passion to it along with talent, or we wouldn’t have selected them. I’m really excited about the group we have, that they’re going to come in, they love to compete and they’re going to add a lot to the football team.”

IN THE DIVISION: The Texans drafted Georgia center Ben Jones (6-2, 303) with the 99th overall pick, Michigan State receiver Keshawn Martin (5-11, 192) with the 121st overall selection and Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick (6-4, 279) with the 126th pick in the fourth round. Neither Indianapolis nor Jacksonville had a slot in the fourth round.

Houston drafted Texas A&M kicker Randy Bullock (5-9, 205) with the 161st overall pick in the fifth round and Purdue tackle Nick Mondek (6-6, 304) with the 195th overall choice in the sixth round. The Texans traded their seventh round spot to the Buccaneers.

Jacksonville chose Nevada linebacker Brandon Marshall (6-1, 242) at the 142nd overall spot in the fifth round and added Florida State cornerback Mike Harris (5-10, 188) at the 176th slot in the sixth round. The Jaguars closed their draft by picking Ashland (Ohio) defensive tackle Jeris Pendleton (6-3, 323) with the 228th overall choice in the seventh round.

Indianapolis tabbed Alabama defensive tackle Josh Chapman (6-1, 316) with the 136th overall selection and Mississippi State running back Vick Ballard (5-10, 219) with the 170th pick in the fifth round. The Colts took Ohio receiver LaVon Brazill (5-11, 192) with the 206th pick in the sixth round.

Indianapolis added Georgia tackle Justin Anderson (6-4, 335) with the 208th pick to start the seventh round, then followed with Vanderbilt defensive end Tim Fugger (6-3, 248) at 214, and concluded the 2012 Draft with Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish (6-2, 219) at the 253rd and final spot, which has been nicknamed “Mr. Irrelevant,” a moniker that may fit this season since the Colts drafted QB Andrew Luck (6-4, 234) with the No. 1 pick Thursday night.

The Tennessee Titans picked Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright with the No. 20 selection in fthe first round of the NFL Draft Thursday night.

The pick was somewhat surprising as the Titans' needs were seen as cornerback, center, defensive line and linebacker.

According to NFL.com, here's the breakdown on Wright:

Wright had been a solid complimentary player in Baylor's high-octane offense who has turned into much more in his senior year. As Robert Griffin III's go-to option at receiver, Wright working himself wide open for a long touchdown seemed to be a common sight for Big 12 opponents this season. Wright is undersized but has the speed to take the top off of NFL defenses. His athletic ability is his greatest strength, and he uses strong, polished technique to make up for his size deficiencies on the field. He has the wiggle and subsequent burst to make a move on a defender and get upfield. His ball skills are on par with his overall skills as a wideout, and he uses his footwork to run strong routes. He will have to improve his blocking and overall strength at the next level, but Wright has the potential to be a first-day pick and make an instant impact.

Analysis Strengths Wright knows how to use his athletic ability to his advantage and is a dynamic player. Despite his size, he is an effective and even lethal threat at the line of scrimmage, as he can get a quick step on a corner and be open from the get-off. His quickness off the line of scrimmage makes up for his size. He is capable of being a serious deep threat yet also has the quickness and ball skills to be effective in the short-to-intermediate game. As a route runner, Wright has shown an understanding of how to lean on a defender to gain separation and stem his routes to set up his quick step to separate. Wright understands the strong suits of his game and plays to them. With the ball in his hands, he can create plays for himself and use vision and body control to weave upfield and bounce off would-be tacklers. Most importantly, he has the uncanny ability to separate from defenders and get open across the field, a skill that's highly desired at the next level. Weaknesses Wright hasn't shown the ability to block or be a factor in the run game while at Baylor. If the ball is not coming his way, he can be seen loafing. He's the type of receiver who needs to be involved in the game to be a factor at all. Showing the ability to run NFL routes will boost his stock.

Career Highlights: Hayward | Richardson | Fugger

The 2012 NFL Draft gets underway Thursday night in New York City and according to most draft experts, at least three Vanderbilt players are likely to be selected during the three-day event. The Vanderbilt contingent is highlighted by second team All-America and All-SEC defensive back Casey Hayward, safety Sean Richardson and defensive end Tim Fugger.

The last time three Commodore players were picked was 2008 when Chicago took offensive lineman Chris Williams (first round) and wide receiver Earl Bennett (third round), and the New York Giants chose linebacker Jonathan Goff (fifth round).

Five other Commodore seniors are eligible for the NFL Draft: tight end Brandon Barden, offensive lineman Kyle Fischer, defensive lineman T.J. Greenstone, quarterback Larry Smith and wide receiver Udom Umoh.

The NFL Draft starts Thursday with the first round at 7 p.m. CT on NFL Network and ESPN. Rounds 2-3 will be held Friday (6 p.m.) followed by rounds 4-7 on Saturday (11 a.m.).

To get ready for the draft, VUcommodores.com prepared highlight reels of the best plays from Hayward, Richardson and Fugger during their Commodore careers.

Casey Hayward, Defensive Back Highlights

Casey Hayward, a lockdown corner with tremendous ball skills, finished his Vanderbilt career tied for first with 15 interceptions and holds the team record with 46 passes defended. Hayward also owns the team's single-season record of 17 passes defended, accomplished in both his junior and senior seasons. The product of Perry, Ga., was a three-year starter and a part of the first Commodore senior class to experience multiple postseason bowl appearances.

Hayward participated in the NFL Combine in late February and was one of the top performers in agility tests, including registering the best time of all invitees in the 20-yard shuttle (3.90). Most analysts think Hayward will be the first Commodore to come off the draft board.

Sean Richardson, Safety Highlights

Sean Richardson, a physical and durable strong safety, played in 50 games and earned 35 starts, including the last 31 games of his career. Richardson's 256 career total tackles ranks among the Commodores' all-time top 25. In his senior season, the Linden, Ala., native was second on the team in total tackles (63) and fifth in tackles for loss (6.5). He will also long be remembered by fans for scoring Vanderbilt's lone touchdown on a fumble recovery in the Commodores' win over Boston College in the 2008 Music City Bowl.

At the NFL Combine, Richardson ranked among the top safeties in the 40-yard dash, bench press, and vertical and broad jumps. Some analysts think Richardson might have the opportunity to play outside linebacker at the next level.

Tim Fugger, Defensive End Highlights

Tim Fugger, who blends quickness and power from the defensive end position, was incredibly productive as a senior and posted several single-season career highs in 13 starts. From Oak Brook, Ill., Fugger contributed 8.0 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. Fugger shares the school career record with eight forced fumbles.

In the months since the Liberty Bowl, Fugger has watched his stock rise among pro evaluators based on tremendous testing at Vanderbilt's Pro Day event. He also has the versatility to play either defensive end or linebacker.

VUCommodores.com Barca Break

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Titans aren’t on the clock yet, but general manager Ruston Webster and head coach Mike Munchak said Tuesday that they are “ready to roll.”

The 2012 NFL Draft begins at 7 p.m. (CT) Thursday with the first round from Radio City Music Hall in New York. It continues at 6 p.m. Friday with the second and third rounds and concludes Saturday with rounds four through seven.

The event has blossomed into a major event that warrants prime time coverage and significant media attention, but is the product of hours of film study, tedious analysis and forthright discussions among Titans executives and scouts that occur with much less bravado.

“First of all, I want to start by saying how happy I am with the way the process has worked,” Webster said during Tuesday’s pre-draft press conference at Baptist Sports Park. “For about the last week-and-a-half, we’ve been in with our scouts and coaches and just solidifying the draft board. We’re in pretty good shape there now. We went through every position with every coach and every scout. Our coaches did an outstanding job of doing their work, and our scouts are very prepared. I think at this point in time, we’re ready to roll.”

The Titans have a total of seven selections, including the 20th overall pick on Thursday. Webster, who was promoted in January from his position as vice president of player personnel, said the Titans usually project 21 to 25 players as first-round selections.

The amount of time teams have to make a selection after “going on the clock” is different for different rounds, but Webster said the Titans have a system that allows for conditions that change when a preceding team selects a player that the Tennessee scouts had in mind.

“We’ll have a group of six players kind of lined up there the way we would take them,” Webster said. “When one of them gets taken, someone else will come on that list and we’ll just keep moving up that way. That way, there’s no panic in the room and probably not even too much discussion.”

Webster participated in his first NFL Draft in 1988 as a regional scout with Tampa Bay and has been involved in each since, including 2010 and 2011 with Tennessee. He said he has found six players to be a good working number to allow some flexibility, but maintain efficient decision making.

“Experience tells you one of those guys will be there,” Webster said. “I guess the point for us is to have a pool of players and when somebody drops off that list to have somebody else to come on it. We’ll just keep working the list.”

Munchak, a longtime assistant coach, said he has been looking forward to his second draft as head coach. He said this year has been different because he was able to spend more time at the pre-draft combine in Indianapolis in February. In 2011, Munchak was still building his coaching staff at the time of the combine.

“Last year, I was hired during that time and was hiring coaches, so I wasn’t involved at all in the first run-through of seeing possible college draft picks,” Munchak said. “This year was nice because I was able to spend a week to 10 days with the scouts, start getting a feel for the strengths of the draft and getting to know some of these guys.”

Munchak said he also gained additional evaluative experience in the past year to help consider players at other positions than just offensive line, which was his specialty as an assistant.

Thursday will mark the second time in Titans/Oilers franchise history to select from the 20th overall spot. In 1987, when the franchise was still the Houston Oilers, the team selected wide receiver Haywood Jeffires from N.C. State. Jeffires made 515 catches in his career, which is second best in franchise history.

The Titans drafted quarterback Jake Locker out of Washington in the first round last year with the eighth overall pick. Tennessee then drafted defensive players with four of their next five selections, including second-rounder Akeem Ayers who started all 16 games in 2011 and produced results at linebacker. The Titans were happily surprised that Ayers was still available at the 39th overall slot.

Webster said the Titans will focus more on their plans than the actions of other teams, but will be prepared for all scenarios.

“You try never to fall in love with one guy,” Webster said. “Jake was somebody we targeted last year, but even in that case, you have to be ready just in case that player is not there. We had a pool of players at that point in time as well. We’ll do the same thing (this year).”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans own seven selections, including the 20th overall pick, in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Kicking off in primetime for the third consecutive year, the first round will start on Thursday, April 26 at 7:00 p.m., CT. The second and third rounds are set for Friday, April 27 at 6:00 p.m., CT. Rounds four through seven will be held on Saturday, April 28 at 11 a.m., CT.

The Titans currently have one pick in each of the seven rounds.

2012 NFL DRAFT ORDER

1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Washington Redskins (from St. Louis Rams)
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. Cleveland Browns
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6. St. Louis Rams (from Washington Redskins)
7. Jacksonville Jaguars
8. Miami Dolphins
9. Carolina Panthers
10. Buffalo Bills
11. Kansas City Chiefs
12. Seattle Seahawks
13. Arizona Cardinals
14. Dallas Cowboys
15. Philadelphia Eagles
16. New York Jets
17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders)
18. San Diego Chargers
19. Chicago Bears
20. Tennessee Titans
21. Cincinnati Bengals
22. Cincinnati Bengals (from Atlanta Falcons)
23. Detroit Lions
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
25. Denver Broncos
26. Houston Texans
27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans Saints)
28. Green Bay Packers
29. Baltimore Ravens
30. San Francisco 49ers
31. New England Patriots
32. New York Giants