Through the first four days of training camp practices, the Tennessee Titans have seen some ups and downs, as well as solid growth from several players. This is a revelation for a team that is counting on many young players to develop into consistent impact players during its rebuild.
Every year there is at least one player who comes out of nowhere and makes a name for himself. In the early days of camp, it appears second-year wideout Elic Ayomanor has taken a massive step forward, and players such as rookie Anthony Hill and second-year edge Femi Oladejo are flashing. But as of now, rookie tight end Jaren Kanak would be widely considered the biggest surprise of camp so far.
This begs the question: who was the Titans' biggest training camp riser
of all-time? ESPN reporter Turron Davenport weighs in with his choice, an unknown wide receiver.
Tennessee Titans - WR Marc Mariani
Mariani entered camp as a seventh-round draft pick in 2010. Although he was buried at the bottom of the wide receiver depth chart, he earned a roster spot as a returner. In Week 4 of his rookie season, he returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Then in Week 11, he had an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Mariani's 1,530 kick return yards and 61 kick returns that season were both franchise records. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2011 and accumulated 326 kick return yards, a Pro Bowl record.
This is ironic because the Titans have remade their wide receiver room this offseason, and one of them could definitely be a surprise in training camp, although they would have a tough time beating out Chimere Dike as a return specialist.
While it is still early with the first padded practice scheduled for Monday, players such as Kanak, who was also a seventh-round pick, will have to work hard to make a similar impact. Is it out of the question? No, but with the solid mix of veterans and young talent, it will be hard for someone to truly rise from nowhere to a Pro Bowler on this roster.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Who is the Titans biggest training camp riser of all-time?
