We’ve gone over all the individual grades for the Tennessee Titans’ 2023 NFL draft picks, including from our Shaun Calderon, as well as from experts from different media outlets.
We’ve also heard from Calderon with a grade for the entire class, which he gave a “C+”. Here are some of his thoughts on that:
This is the type of draft class that may not make much sense at the moment, but a few years from now we could look back on this as a franchise-altering weekend if things go how the Titans hope, and in particular, when it comes to Levis’ development.
On the country, this could be one of those classes that doesn’t age well at all. Only time tell, but for now, I’ll give this class an average grade.
Now, we turn to a slew of other experts from different media outlets, a group that views Tennessee’s class positively.
Doug Farrar, Touchdown Wire: B
The addition of Peter Skoronski combines best player available and positional need quite well. I’m not sure whether Skoronski will be an NFL tackle, but if the Titans kick him inside to guard, I think he could be the next Zack Martin. And Tulane’s Tyjae Spears is a personal favorite — few prospects in this class were more fun to watch, and with his power, contact balance, and ability as a receiver, Spears is more than just a smaller gadget guy. He could be another Austin Ekeler. Maryland’s Jaelyn Duncan went about where he should have as a monstrously gifted blocker with all kinds of technical work ahead of him.
The extent to which you deem Tennessee’s draft an eventual success is how the Titans hit on Will Levis, who they traded up to take early in the second round. Levis is a power thrower with plus athleticism, but the accuracy and decision-making are below par. I thought that Levis had third-round tape, but we’ll see if the Titans can give him the offensive structure and defined reads he’ll need to succeed over time.
Mel Kiper, ESPN: B+
I went long on the Titans’ Day 2 in my Friday night “winners” column, so go there if you don’t want to see me repeat myself. The synopsis is: I’m a believer in Will Levis (33). I think he will be Tennessee’s starting quarterback, maybe even as soon as this season. He has all the tools to be a longtime starter in the NFL, and I was stunned he lasted into Round 2. Does he have flaws? Absolutely. He was downright reckless at times last season, trusting his strong arm to fit throws into tight spaces but instead getting picked off. He took too many sacks. But he has a high ceiling, and I think he could thrive with pro talent around him.
Ultimately, Ran Carthon’s first draft as Tennessee general manager will be remembered for what happens with this pick. The strange thing is I said something similar after last year’s draft, when former Titans general manager Jon Robinson landed Malik Willis in Round 3. It’s clear the new regime doesn’t see Willis as its future franchise signal-caller, however, and my grade for Levis is much higher than it was for Willis a year ago.
The downside of landing Levis, as I mentioned Friday, is that it involved a significant trade up. The Titans moved up eight spots in a trade with the Cardinals, giving up Nos. 41 and 72 plus a third-rounder next year (and adding No. 81 in this draft).
In the rest of Carthon’s group, Peter Skoronski (11) was my top-ranked offensive lineman in the entire class, and running back Tyjae Spears (81) is extremely talented, assuming his medical reports check out. Offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan (186) has starter tools if he can put everything together.
I still have questions about the receivers on this depth chart, but maybe Carthon can work some magic in the veteran market after the draft. One thing is for sure: The AFC South got much more interesting after this draft.
Chad Reuter, NFL.com: A-
Analysis: Skoronski is a great fit in Tennessee. He has a Zack Martin-type ceiling inside and has the versatility to play tackle if needed. Trading up for Levis, despite his inconsistency, was not outrageous given that Ryan Tannehill’s contract is scheduled to void after the 2023 season, per Over the Cap. I expect Spears to be a valuable contributor, despite his lack of an ACL.
The Titans parted with fourth- and sixth-round picks for receivers Julio Jones and Robert Woods in trades from previous years. Whyle was a good find in the fifth, though, as a potential threat in the red zone and intermediate passing game. The team hopes Duncan can use his athleticism more consistently as he matures.
Pro Football Focus: A
Day 1: The big question is whether Skoronski will play tackle or guard at the next level. He played tackle in 2022, though, and had a tremendous season. As Northwestern’s starting left tackle this past season, he allowed just six total pressures on 474 pass-blocking snaps.
Day 2: Will Levis’ slide ends early on Day 2, with the Titans trading up to Pick 33 to grab the signal-caller. Levis has supreme arm talent and an ultra-quick release, but the big knock on him is how little he put that into action. He lacked high-quality throws at Kentucky last season, which played a part in his middling 65.8 passing grade on the year. The good news is that Levis lands in an offense that will help open up some downfield opportunities.
Spears profiles as a nice complement to Derrick Henry in Tennessee’s backfield. He is dangerous in the open field and is coming off an elite final season at Tulane during which he forced 63 missed tackles on the ground. Spears averaged at least 4.5 yards after contact per attempt in each of the past two seasons.
Day 3: After letting Austin Hooper walk in free agency, Tennessee adds another option at tight end to complement Chigoziem Okonkwo. Whyle has a big frame at 6-foot-7 and will find space over the middle of the field as a receiver, but he isn’t likely going to be a physical, in-line blocker at 248 pounds.
Duncan has good footwork but can play a bit top-heavy, often struggling to anchor with not enough sand in the pants. He struggles against power, as the big Michigan ends pushed him around a bit, but he’s a great athlete in space and fits very well in this Titans zone scheme. Tennessee has done well to overhaul their offensive line that was desperate for improvements.
Dowell is big at 6-foot-3 and earned an 85.2 receiving grade in 2022 with 15.3 yards per reception and 3.00 yards per route run. He’s an explosive downfield threat for Tennessee and stays in-state, adding much-needed depth to the Titans’ wide receiver room.
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: A-
Analysis: This is an incredible offense-only haul for new GM Ran Carthon. Although some minor docking for no wide receiver of note, They hacked away at improving their offensive line and adding a couple needed new versatile playmakers at the same time for their new franchise QB. They had to be thrilled to get a shot at Levis in Round 2 as they try to move forward from Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis. Dowell is a good developmental big vertical threat for Levis’ cannon arm.
Teddy Ricketson, DraftKings: C
The Titans’ draft looks a lot like their outlook in the 2023 season: meh. Skoronski is a solid addition and should at least help the offensive line improve, as it’s tasked with blocking for Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill. Levis is a fine choice in the second but it practically means that Malik Willis doesn’t have a future here. Spears has talent, but it’s hard to see him take over for Henry down the line. It could be argued that Skoronski, Whyle and Duncan are the best picks in this draft, and two of them came after 146 other players were taken.
Kristopher Knox, Bleacher Report: A-
The Titans were pegged as a team to watch in the quarterback market on opening night. Instead of reaching for QB3, Tennessee stayed put and grabbed the top-ranked offensive lineman on the B/R board.
Tennessee opened Day 2 by trading up to the 33rd pick to grab Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. The former Wildcat was widely viewed as a first-round pick heading into draft weekend, and he should immediately leap Malik Willis as the heir apparent to Ryan Tannehill.
Tannehill is entering the final year of his contract.
The Titans added a quality running back in Tulane’s Tyjae Spears, who has the potential to be a longtime starter and may eventually take over for Derrick Henry. Josh Whyle, Jaelyn Duncan and Colton Dowell will provide further offensive depth.
Tennessee got the best overall offensive lineman in the draft and a possible quarterback of the future. That’s a big win for a franchise hoping to get back to winning in the AFC South.
Danny Kelly, The Ringer: A-
The Titans were widely connected to quarterback Will Levis in the first round, and while I was never super high on the former Kentucky quarterback, the fact that Tennessee landed him in the second round feels like a fantastic value. Levis has the tools and toughness to develop into a quality starter, and now he won’t face the same pressure to start right away he would have felt if he had been a first rounder—and that could be a silver lining to his unexpected fall. Additionally, Tennessee was able to land a high-level pass protector in the first round instead, which could give Levis better support down the line. All in all, that series of events looks like a pretty positive outcome for a Tennessee team at a pivot point in 2023. I am also a fan of the team’s third-round running back pick, Tyjae Spears, who adds a lightning element to Derrick Henry’s thunder.
Ryan Gosling, Pro Football Network: B+
The Tennessee Titans didn’t have a lot of draft capital to work with, meaning they needed to do the most with what they had. Adding Peter Skoronski and Will Levis is something that I’m confident nobody would have thought possible a week ago, and adding Tyjae Spears to be the lightning to Derrick Henry’s thunder is a solid complement. Jaelyn Duncan is one of my favorite picks of the entire draft because of the Titans’ needs along the offensive line and his upside.
