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NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Titans promised to give Vince Young more help on offense. They hope they did just that Saturday by giving themselves a big injection of speed.

They used the No. 24 pick overall in the NFL draft on running back Chris Johnson of East Carolina, the player who ran the fastest 40-yard dash at the combine with a time of 4.24 seconds. He offers versatility having lined up at wide receiver and worked as a returner.

"We're going to plug him in wherever and whenever we can because we know he's a playmaker who has just got world-class, difference-making speed, which is something we need offensively," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "So we're very excited to place Chris in the offense."

The Titans turned back to defense in the second round after watching receivers Malcolm Kelly and Limas Sweed drafted in the three picks before their selection at No. 54 and grabbed defensive lineman Jason Jones of Eastern Michigan. That will help a unit that lost Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy in free agency and added veteran Jevon Kearse in March.

This is only the third time the Titans have drafted an offensive player in the first round after taking receiver Kevin Dyson in 1998 and Young with the No. 3 pick overall in 2006. Johnson becomes the first running back drafted in the first round by this franchise since Eddie George in 1996, who became the franchise's all-time leading rusher.

This also is the third consecutive year Tennessee has selected a running back after taking Chris Henry in the second round in 2007 and LenDale White of Southern California in the second in 2006.

That will make for a very crowded backfield, but running the ball wasn't Tennessee's problem in 2007. The Titans ran for 2,109 yards led by White with 1,110 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Young himself ran for 395 yards. But veteran Chris Brown, who had their longest run of 42 yards, is gone after the Titans declined to bring him back.

The 5-foot-10, 198-pound Johnson led the NCAA with 227.69 all-purpose yards last season, and he became only the sixth player at the Bowl Championship Series-level to finish his career with more than 6,000 all-purpose yards, finishing with 6,993.

Johnson learned the news while with his family in Orlando, Fla., and he said the Titans told him Friday they were worried he wouldn't still be available at No. 24. He was happy to get the phone call from the Titans, who will unite him with new running backs coach Earnest Byner. Johnson had been kidding Byner about breaking his records at East Carolina.

"Whatever they want me to do, I'll do," Johnson said.

Offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, hired in January to replace Norm Chow, can't wait to start working him into his plans. He never got to enjoy a first-round pick on offense during his previous tenure as coordinator here between 2000 and 2004.

Heimerdinger really likes Johnson's hands after catching 37 passes for 528 yards and six touchdowns in 2007. That's where the Titans can use him most because his six TDs receiving were three fewer than Tennessee had in 16 games last season.

"There's a lot of film of him lining up as a wide receiver and doing good things there like his running ability and the speed he brings to us. He gives us a chance for a home run hitter. He makes our special teams better immediately as a returner," Heimerdinger said.

The Titans signed defensive back and returner Chris Carr in free agency last month. Fisher said the two both will be tried returning kicks and punts even though Johnson only returned kicks in college. The Titans averaged 8.7 yards on punt returns after leading the NFL with 12.9 yards per return in 2006.

The return yardage was impacted from Adam "Pacman" Jones, who was suspended from the NFL last season, and the same guy whose trade to Dallas must be concluded before the fourth round begins today.

Asked about the status of a trade announced Wednesday but hadn't been concluded, Fisher said only, "We're progressing."

Roos Gets Extension: Michael Roos told the Titans he wanted to wrap up contract negotiations before the 2008 season started. Team officials obliged their left tackle, agreeing to a six-year, $43 million extension. The deal makes Roos the third-highest paid left tackle in the NFL.

The deal includes $15 million in guaranteed money, including a $4 million roster bonus.

© 2008, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.