It’s no secret that the Tennessee Titans desperately need an influx of youthful talent throughout their entire roster. The wide receiver position and the offensive line are two areas, in particular, that must be revamped this offseason.
It’s a relatively safe bet that the Titans’ next general manager will add veteran talent to these groups via free agency and/or trades. However, Tennessee will also be heavily reliant on the upcoming draft in order to add some much-needed (and cheaper) talent to the football team.
Now that the new year is rolling in, it’s time to take our first dive into the polarizing mock draft season. For this projection, I used two different simulators since they each used a different draft spot.
Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) mock draft simulator had the Titans picking 20th overall with the assumption that they’ll find a way to win the division when it’s all said and done.
Pro Football Network’s (PFN) mock draft simulator had the Titans 13th overall at the time I did the mock.
Therefore, I went ahead and used both websites to make my selections for this article, that way I could cover multiple possible scenarios. With that said, let’s take a closer look at my first mock drafts of the 2023 season.
1st-round wide receiver: PFN
I went ahead and grabbed the best wide receiver available with the Titans’ first pick by selecting TCU’s Quentin Johnston.
The talented wide receiver is coming off a monstrous playoff game in which he caught six passes for 163 yards and one touchdown. Even more impressive is the fact that 111 of those yards came after the catch.
QUENTIN JOHNSTON OH MY GOODNESS!!!
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 1, 2023
Johnston is a big, fast and fluid wide receiver that will perfectly complement Treylon Burks on the other side of him.
The TCU product has tallied 59 receptions for 1,066 yards and six touchdowns on the year, with the national championship game still to come.
I rounded out the rest of the draft by selecting a much-needed left tackle in Georgia’s Broderick Jones in Round 2, followed by selecting the big and talented linebacker out of Texas in Round 3.
Jones is an athletic physical specimen who has the potential to be a dominant blocker at the next level if he’s molded correctly.
There’s a chance that both starting inside linebackers David Long and Zach Cunningham are gone this offseason. If that’s the case, the Titans will need to add more talent to that room before the 2023 season, and Demarvion Overshown would be a good addition.
You couldn’t watch a Texas game last season without No. 0 standing out anytime he was on the field. Getting him in two-tone blue would be good for both now and the long-term future of the defense.
1st-round wide receiver: PFF
With my first pick in this draft, I went ahead and selected Ohio State’s Jaxson Smith-Njigba.
The young wide receiver is a phenomenal talent who unfortunately had his 2021 campaign cut short due to a nagging hamstring injury.
My #1 WR prospect for the 2023 NFL Draft:
Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
6’0 197lbs 4.4 40A polished route runner with serious after the catch playmaking ability.
Get this… 94 catches 1,606 yards as the #3 WR behind Olave and Wilson last year..
— Jared Tokarz (@JaredNFLDraft) June 27, 2022
Fortunately, the ailment isn’t considered long term, therefore he should be ready to go once it’s time to start practicing with his new team.
He holds the FBS bowl game and Ohio State record for most receiving yards in a single contest with the 347 he totaled in the 2022 Rose Bowl.
The former Buckeye also holds Ohio State records for most catches in a single game with 15 (twice) and most receiving yards in a single season with 1,606 during the 2021 season.
I then added the versatile offensive lineman out of Kansas State, Cooper Beebe, in Round 2.
Beebe is a reliable and consistent talent that has started multiple spots along the offensive line. He hasn’t allowed a single sack over his last 24 starts, 13 of which came at left tackle during the 2021 season.
Beebe is a fantastic athlete who would excel in a zone-blocking scheme, and would likely improve the interior offensive line upon his arrival.
I then concluded the draft by selecting arguably the best center in the entire draft, Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz.
With Ben Jones recently suffering two concussion injuries that ended his season, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he decides to call it a career after the 2022 campaign.
If so, Michael Schmitz would be a fantastic heir apparent at center for both the short and long term.
1st-round offensive lineman: PFN
Peter Skoronski is one of the more debatable prospects in the entire draft. His talent is undeniable, but where he’s better suited is the real question.
The Northwestern product doesn’t have the ideal length you’d like to see out of your left tackle, but his tape hardly shows any glaring weaknesses because of it.
Peter Skoronski vs Aidan Hutchinson 👀 pic.twitter.com/8yGyIskcSe
— cristian (@Cristianspfc_) December 12, 2022
Whichever team takes a chance on the dominant lineman will have to make a conscious choice as to whether or not to leave him at tackle, or to kick him inside at guard where he’s probably better suited from a physique standpoint.
In my opinion, I believe Skoronski can be a high-quality offensive tackle in the pros, but I genuinely believe he can be an elite NFL guard.
Whatever the case may be, the Titans could use help at both spots, so if he’s on the board, it’s going to be hard for them to turn away from someone who could instantly improve the unit the second he arrives.
Skoronski finished the 2022 season with a PFF grade of 89.5 after allowing just three hurries, two quarterback hits, and one sack.
In Round 2, I went ahead and addressed the left tackle position by selecting Oklahoma’s Anton Harrison.
This would allow Skoronski to permanently kick inside while Harrison develops as the team’s franchise left tackle of the future, and possibly of the present depending on what the team decides to do this offseason.
One thing is for sure, the Titans must improve their pass protection in a big way this offseason.
Harrison excelled in that area, receiving an impressive pass-blocking grade of 85.6 this season after surrendering just nine pressures on 447 pass-blocking snaps.
I concluded this mock by adding Washington’s Rome Odunze in the third round. This Titans team desperately needs all the wide receiver help it can get, so taking a chance on someone like Odunze at this point makes sense.
The Washington product is coming off a season in which he produced a total of 1,145 yards and seven touchdowns on 75 receptions.
1st-round offensive lineman: PFF
I saved this one for last because it’s my personal preference out of the four I listed. Truthfully, it would be a home run for the first three rounds if the Titans actually found a way to pull this off.
With my first pick, I went ahead and selected what I believe to be the best left tackle prospect in the draft, Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr.
The talented lineman has previously started at guard in 2021, but the Ohio State blocker is an explosive and nimble athlete that is more than capable of protecting a quarterback’s blindside.
Over his last two years, Johnson has accounted for well over 1,500 snaps on offense, yet he’s only allowed one sack and one quarterback hit over that time.
If they're sleeping, tuck them in pic.twitter.com/awtcfmfhpn
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) December 27, 2022
In the run game, Johnson flashes power and nastiness, constantly proving that he’s able to win at the point of attack and athletic enough to win in space.
According to PFF, Johnson finished the regular season with an overall grade of 83.1.
I then went ahead and doubled down on the offensive line by adding one of my favorite interior prospects in the entire draft.
A Johnson and Beebe tandem would instantly provide an upgrade on the left side of the offensive line upon their arrival.
Kansas State’s 2023 NFL Draft prospects are showing up BIG in the Sugar Bowl.
Left guard Cooper Beebe springs this run chipping the nose and sealing the LB and Deuce Vaughn takes it 88 yards to the house. Two of the best at their positions. pic.twitter.com/pUi62GZChK
— Seven Rounds in Heaven (@7RoundsInHeaven) December 31, 2022
I concluded Day 2 of the draft by then adding Tennessee legendary wide receiver, Jalin Hyatt. The Biletnikoff award winner is coming off a monstrous season in which he produced 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns on 67 receptions.
However, it’s Hyatt’s only season with consistent production, therefore, his stock isn’t as high as you would imagine. He’s also been pretty limited to a role in the slot, so growing on the outside and adapting to press coverage will be something he needs to develop in the pros.
Nonetheless, if the All-American wideout is still sitting there at this point in the draft, it would be wise for the Titans to keep Hyatt from leaving the state.
