That allows the Titans to embrace the draft strictly from a "best player available" standpoint, especially in the early rounds. That's not to say the Titans are not without areas that could stand some improvement, because they are thin in a number of areas behind the players penciled into starting positions.

Their three major areas where depth concerns exist are wide receiver, cornerback and linebacker. Not surprisingly, the Titans have had plenty of players at those positions in at Baptist Sports Park as part of the NFL's allowed 30 prospect visits.

Some of the names on the list include some of the most ballyhooed names available at the wide receiver position, such as North Carolina's Hakeem Nicks, Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey, Percy Harvin of Florida and Kenny Britt of Rutgers. All are projected as anywhere from mid-first to early second-round selections and might well be on the Titans' radar.

However, the Titans' mentality over the past several years has been to shy away from receivers with high picks. They have not selected one in the first round since Kevin Dyson in 1998, bypassing Randy Moss in the process, due to character concerns.

If the Titans opt for defensive depth with their first pick, linebacker and cornerback are two spots where they are extremely thin behind their starters. At linebacker, for instance, if veterans Keith Bulluck or David Thornton were to go down for an extended period of time, the Titans would have no one with any extensive measure of experience or success to plug in on the outside.

That explains why they have hosted a number of linebackers, including all three Southern Cal prospects in Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing and Matthews, whose uncle is Titans Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews. Ohio State's James Laurinaitis is another linebacker the Titans have focused on in pre-draft work.

Cornerback is another area where depth must be addressed somewhere in the draft. The Titans recently signed DeMarcus Faggins as a free agent, but it is easy to believe that a rookie cornerback chosen in the first three rounds of the draft could easily nose ahead of him on the depth chart with a strong training camp.

The Titans have been eyeing such prospects as Vanderbilt's D.J. Moore, Connecticut's Darius Butler, Wake Forest's Alphonso Smith and Ohio State's Malcolm Jenkins. From a pure talent standpoint, the Titans would probably love to see a player like Illinois' Vontae Davis slip down the draft board into their hands at No. 30.

TEAM NEEDS: Wide receiver, cornerback, linebacker, defensive line.

WR -- The Titans have only two receivers they can rely upon at the present time -- holdover Justin Gage and newcomer free agent Nate Washington, who was a third receiver and deep threat with the Steelers. The possibility of signing veteran Torry Holt after the draft exists, but that is certainly no guarantee. Beyond that, the Titans have gotten virtually no contribution from recent draft picks like Paul Williams, Chris Davis and Lavelle Hawkins, and will certainly look to bolster this area with one and perhaps two receivers on draft weekend. Their history at receiver suggests that they mine the middle rounds, hoping to strike it rich with a player who develops a la Derrick Mason or Justin McCareins. More often than not, though, they have found only fool's gold using that strategy.

CB -- The Titans are fine with their starters in Pro Bowl cornerback Cortland Finnegan on one side and veteran Nick Harper on the other. And they liked Vincent Fuller's work as the nickel cornerback enough to re-sign him to a three-year deal. Beyond that? It's sketchy at best for the Titans who have only recent signee DeMarcus Faggins and second-year man Cary Williams. Look for the Titans to draft at least one cornerback this year, and perhaps use a high pick to get a future star. Harper has had injuries the

past two seasons, and at 34 and coming off groin surgery, is not a lock to play 16 games. Finding a capable backup is a must.

LB -- The starters are solid and steady, if not star quality, especially with Keith Bulluck and David Thornton on the outside. Stephen Tulloch is emerging in the middle, and despite being on the short side at 5-11, has a natural knack for finding the ball carrier and the ball. Behind them however, there are only unproven players and mostly special teamers. Ryan Fowler, a former starter in the middle, is the best of the lot. With Bulluck and Tulloch both free agents to be in 2010, addressing the future of this position should be done now rather than later.

DL -- Like the linebacking corps, the Titans feel pretty good about what they have now, even with losing Albert Haynesworth in free agency. But this is another area that could be ravaged by free agency at year's end. Three-fourths of the starting defensive line -- Kyle Vanden Bosch, Jevon Kearse and Tony Brown -- are all entering the last years of their respective contracts. A defensive end and perhaps a tackle is certainly a possibility on draft day. If a player like Missouri's Evander "Ziggy" Hood were on the board at their pick, it might be hard for the Titans to say no, even with bigger needs at other positions.