The Tennessee Titans desperately needed to add to their wide receivers room during the 2023 NFL draft, but they did so far later than anyone expected, with their lone selection at the position being seventh-rounder Colton Dowell.
The UT-Martin prospect wasn’t really one anyone’s radar going into the draft, but he has since caught some attention since being drafted, with NFL.com draft expert Lance Zierlein being particularly impressed with him.
If he can pan out, Dowell checks multiple boxes for Tennessee, as he offers both size (6-foot-3) and speed (4.40 40-yard dash). His Relative Athletic Score (9.78) ranked an impressive 67th out of 3,062 wide receivers who registered a mark from 1987 through 2023.
While the promise is certainly there, expecting a seventh-round draft pick to make the kind of impact Tennessee needs is expecting too much. That said, Dowell has a better shot than most to make the cut considering the Titans’ lackluster situation at the position currently.
After being drafted by Tennessee, Dowell did a Zoom presser with the media and touched on a number of topics, including his being a Titans fan, what he feels his strength is, and more. Check it all out below.
On meeting with Titans, pre-draft interest
“I got a couple of coaches that coached at UT Martin that are now with the Titans. I knew they had interest, but being drafted by them is a dream come true. I did not know that that was going to happen.”
“[The Titans] just said that I could come in there and carve my rôle in their offense with hard work and I am buying into that. I am a hard-working guy. That’s basically what they said. It is up to me how far I go.”
As far as communication with the team it was Clinton McMillan. He was my guy that I was in his ear and as well as Coach (Matt) Jones, both of them guys came from Martin and that was kind of like my point of contact with the team. But I love Coach (Rob) Moore. We had a good conversation on the local day. I can tell that he wants to develop players, and he really cares about this game. I’m looking forward to working with him.”
“I had multiple Zoom calls with teams like Arizona and the Patriots, the Broncos, the Chargers. And I actually went on a 30 visit to Chicago. So, yeah, definitely.”
On being a Titans fan
“I would describe myself as a Titans fan, especially seeing what Coach (Mike) Vrabel has done these past years of running the team. I definitely consider myself a Titans fan and I’ve been to a couple games.”
“I had a couple of teammates come to the Titans in college and so I would say probably around 2018, 2017 and I was probably about 19 years old. We have always watched the Titans in my house.”
On his style of play
“I would say I’m a deep threat and I get out and stretch the field. I make those contested catches. I’m a big-body guy, so I like to use my body to maneuver myself around the DB and just make those tough-contested catches.”
On his dad being a fire chief in Lebanon
“He was the fire chief for about 12 years, I think. He’s recently retired. He’s been retired for about two years now. “
On his big game against Tennessee
“I feel like I just showed that I am a good player. Even though I came from a small school, I can compete with the top dogs, whoever they put in front of me. I am a competitor, I work hard and just prove myself time after time against good talent.”
On how he stood out without combine
“I try to build my body and build my arms, build my speed, and then just show up in the flashy areas. I’ve always been a strong guy, so getting 23 on bench, that kind of gave me a little spotlight and then the vertical and the 40.
I just put a lot of emphasis into making myself as athletic and as strong as I could for the draft.”
On his new teammates
“Derrick Henry is a big one, right? He’s just an awesome guy. He’s a bruiser on the field. and what he does with how big he is, it’s just amazing. It’s fun to watch and guys like (Ryan) Tannehill, he’s a fun, fun guy to watch on the field and I love how he’s kind of revamped his career through the Titans. I love (Jeffery) Simmons on the D-line. He’s a freakin’ beast. It’s fun watching them play. I follow the team pretty, pretty good.”
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