Titans draft former Mizzou receiver Dorial Green-Beckham with 40th overall pick

New Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota has an intriguing new player to work with after the team selected former Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham in the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday.

The Titans, who drafted Mariota with the No. 2 overall pick during Thursday’s first round, traded the first pick in the second round to the Giants. Tennessee, which also received a fifth- and seventh-round selection, moved down seven spots and chose Green-Beckham at No. 40 overall.

Green-Beckham, 22, predicted great things from the partnership.

“I have a vision that we are going to have a great career,” Green-Beckham said. “Me and Marcus Mariota are going to connect well. He is going to have a big receiver like me that’s going to be able to get the ball. He’s not going to have to worry. I know I am going to be there and help out on a lot of things.”

Of course, in terms of off-field concerns, the two picks couldn’t be more different.

Mariota was considered one of the best leaders in the draft, while Green-Beckham was dismissed from the MU football team in April 2014 after a series of off-field incidents.

Green-Beckham was arrested twice for marijuana possession — in October 2012 and January 2014 — before he was the subject of a burglary investigation by Columbia Police that precipitated his dismissal from the Tigers. Green-Beckham allegedly pushed a female resident down stairs and dragged his girlfriend from the residence by her neck. Green-Beckham was not arrested or charged.

He said he’s grown from those experiences and is determined to make better decisions.

“I learned, you know putting good people around me,” Green-Beckham said. “Putting myself in better situations, I know the mistakes I had and went through. I mean, it was because I was picking the wrong people to be around. But I know now I am putting great people in my circle that’s going to be there to protect me.”

Green-Beckham faced questions abound about his route-running and ability to grasp an NFL offense. But he is a 6-foot, 237-pound target with a large catching radius and ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.

“I really consider myself at this time more like a Calvin Johnson or Dez Bryant — being a big receiver, being a big target, being a guy that’s going to go up and get the ball and score a lot of touchdowns,” he said.

Green-Beckham made 28 catches for 395 yards with five touchdowns as a true freshman. As a sophomore, Green-Beckham finished with 59 catches for 883 yards and 12 touchdowns, helping the Tigers breakthrough with the first of back-to-back SEC East division crowns.

He sat out last season after transferring to Oklahoma, but opted to enter the NFL Draft with two years of eligibility remaining.

This story was originally published May 1, 2015 at 6:54 PM with the headline "Titans draft former Mizzou receiver Dorial Green-Beckham with 40th overall pick."