Cam Ward: Xavier Restrepo Will Prove He Belongs In Nfl

The Titans did a lot of research on quarterback Cam Ward leading up to the draft and that means they also did a lot of research on wide receiver Xavier Restrepo.

Restrepo caught 69 passes for 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns while playing with Ward at Miami last season and they got further looks at him at workouts after the season, which gave them even more insight into a player who was an All-American. Restrepo wound up going undrafted after running a poor 40 at the Scouting Combine and the Titans signed him after the end of the seventh round.

Head coach Brian Callahan acknowledged that the 40 time "matters," bu that "you see this speed that he plays with when he plays" and that bought him a chance to make it in Tennessee. Ward believes his college teammate will make the most of it.

"I was real excited when [the Titans] signed X," Ward said, via the team's website. "He's somebody who was deserving of it. He's worked hard every day. He is one of the most underrated players that was in the draft this year. I think every time he steps on the field, he remembers everything, and he is going to continue to prove it. He was one of the best route runners in college football last year, he is first team All-conference, he is All-American, he never lost in man coverage. He is a back-to-back 1,000-yard receiver, so why wouldn't you push for him?"

The Titans signed Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett before drafting a pair of receivers to go with the returning Calvin Ridley, so Restrepo has an uphill climb ahead of him. Chemistry with Ward won't hurt his bid, though, and preseason action should show how much of a chance he has to stick into September.