CHICAGO -- On the first day of the 2016 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans put a big offensive piece in front of second-year quarterback Marcus Mariota in offensive tackle Jack Conklin.
On the second day, they put a big piece behind Mariota in their backfield.
In drafting Heisman Trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry of Alabama, the Titans added a young Eddie George, according to NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks.
"This is an Eddie Georgie clone. A guy that excels at running between the tackles, and right off tackle, in a zone-based system," Brooks said Friday on NFL Now of the 245-pound Henry. "I love how he comes downhill, plays behind his pads. He's a guy that grinds it out."
George rushed for more than 10,000 yards in eight seasons with the franchise, which was still the Houston Oilers when he joined the league in 1996. Henry rushed for 2,219 yards with 28 touchdowns in a national championship season for the Crimson Tide last year.
"This guy had a ton of carries, put (Alabama) on his back. If I'm the Tennesse Titans, now I can split the load between DeMarco Murray, Derrick Henry, we can grind it out, protect, and alleviate some of the pressure on Marcus Mariota," Brooks said.
Henry's unification with Mariota gives the Titans a pair of Heisman winners in their offensive backfield. And if the first-round tackle tandem of Conklin and Taylor Lewan develops, the Heisman duo could flourish.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
