Titans' Bishop Sankey gets early seal of approval

Veterans weren't around to watch the Titans rookie minicamp in May. But curiosity got the best of Nate Washington.

After five seasons as Chris Johnson's teammate, the veteran wide receiver wanted to see what the new guy — running back Bishop Sankey — was all about. So Washington went to Saint Thomas Sports Park and watched film of rookie camp.

"Really, I wanted to see what he was worth," Washington said. "I wanted to see what he brought to the table."

Washington liked what he saw. He liked Sankey even more after being on the field with him.

The second-round pick from the University of Washington continued to make a good impression in the preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, totaling 37 yards on 13 carries and 38 yards on three catches. He turned one short catch into a 23-yard gain and another one into a 5-yard touchdown.

"I like Bishop Sankey," veteran safety Michael Griffin said. "But I told him after the game, 'Congratulations on your first NFL touchdown. Now you have 19 more to go.' "

Veterans have a way of keeping rookies in check. They don't want the youngsters getting too cocky or too comfortable too soon.

Sankey, who has Johnson's old locker, seems to get it. While the stats he piled up at Washington were gaudy — 3,309 yards and 36 touchdowns in his final two seasons — the first running back selected in this year's draft is soft-spoken and humble.

He was pumped after scoring against the Packers, but his focus remained unchanged.

"There's a lot of things I can correct and improve on to get ready for the season," he said. "And I'm going to work at doing that. I still have a lot of work to do."

Sankey came back to earth on Monday, when he ran laps around the practice field for putting the ball on the ground twice. Fumbled exchanges have been an issue during training camp.

The Titans liked Sankey's versatility so much they drafted him over other top-rated backs including Ohio State's Carlos Hyde (49ers), LSU's Jeremy Hill (Bengals), West Virginia's Charles Sims (Buccaneers) and Auburn's Tre Mason (Rams).

"We wanted a guy we felt was a solid player in all areas, and that goes for running the ball, pass protecting, receiving, route running, intelligence, all of that," running backs coach Sylvester Croom said. "Bishop fit the profile of what we wanted to get done."

Against the Packers, the Titans offered a glimpse of life without Johnson, who rushed for 7,965 yards and 50 touchdowns in six seasons.

Shonn Greene got the early work and hammered away for 20 yards on four carries, including a 13-yard touchdown.

Dexter McCluster rushed for 19 yards on three carries and showed toughness with a second-effort run that left a would-be tackler stranded.

Sankey then got his chance. When the regular season arrives, however, it's easy to envision him as the primary ball-carrier because his all-around skills will make it tough to keep him off the field.

He also knows he has to drop the bad habit of being out of position on handoffs, something he blames on his footwork.

"It falls on me and it's going back to the details," Sankey said. "That stuff is unacceptable, and definitely something I have to get corrected as quickly as possible."

Still, coach Ken Whisenhunt said he's been impressed with Sankey so far. So has Washington.

"To say he has huge shoes to fill, we can't put that all on him with C.J. leaving," Washington said. "This offense has to do it collectively, and make the splash plays that C.J. made. But we believe in him, and what we have seen so far, we like what we see."

Reach Jim Wyatt at 615-259-8015 and on Twitter @jwyattsports.