In his latest 2022 mock draft, Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling has the Tennessee Titans taking a versatile edge rusher and tight end with their first two picks of the 2022 NFL draft.
In the first round, Easterling pegs Georgia edge rusher Trayvon Walker to the Titans at No. 26 overall. Here are his thoughts on the pick:
Harold Landry’s breakout season was huge for the Titans, but they need a better long-term solution on the other edge of the defensive front. Walker was one of the best players on the nation’s most dominant defense, and has the versatility to line up at multiple spots in any alignment.
The only way we could possibly see the Titans taking an edge rusher this early is if it’s someone versatile like Walker, and even then it isn’t likely.
After all, the Titans are pretty set upfront for next season. However, all bets are off if Harold Landry doesn’t re-sign.
In the third round (the Titans don’t have a second-round pick thanks to the Julio Jones trade), Easterling selects Washington tight end Cade Otton for Tennessee.
This selection is more realistic. After all, the Titans didn’t have an every-down tight end in 2021, instead opting to go with a three-man rotation of players who specialized in one area or the other.
Otton checks the boxes for an every-down tight end, as he’s a good receiver and blocker, both in the run and passing game. Here’s more information on the 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end, courtesy of Drae Harris of The Draft Network:
“Cade Otton is a sufficient-level athlete with regards to downfield speed and separation quickness as a route-runner. In the run game, he is a very good in-line blocker with good power at the point of attack. He has some nastiness and tenacity to him in the run game. In the passing game, he demonstrates the football IQ and versatility to align at Y, F, or H. He has a very good catch radius and strong hands to pluck the football. He lacks elite separation quickness at the top of the route but does a good job catching the football away from his frame. He is a mismatch up the seams against smaller linebackers and does outstanding work between the numbers.”
Lastly, here’s a deeper dive into 6-foot-5, 275-pound Walker, also per The Draft Network:
“Georgia’s Travon Walker is an exciting defensive lineman who offers rare athleticism and versatility along the defensive front. Walker, a former 5-star recruit and high school basketball star, has been a mainstay for the Bulldogs in his three-year career but has taken his game to the next level as a junior. Walker has outstanding size and length for the position and pairs those attributes together with rare athleticism. As a pass rusher, Walker displays rare get-off and explosion off the snap. He can easily win edges and shoot through gaps with his explosive and quick-twitch movements. He flashes very good power at the point of attack and has a terrific long arm, which he utilizes to knock back and shock offensive tackles. Walker primarily wins with quickness and speed-to-power as a pass rusher, failing to show consistent hand counters and secondary rush moves. In the run game, Walker sets a firm edge with a strong lock-out and anchor. He has outstanding lateral pursuit and consistently makes plays across the line of scrimmage or down the field with excellent effort. He struggles to get off blocks at times and can be slow tracking the football. All in all, Walker has rare athletic upside with position versatility but needs to develop into more of an impact player to warrant as high of a pick as his athletic traits suggest.”
Walker tallied career-highs in sacks (six), tackles (30), tackles for loss (7.5) and pass defended (two) in 2021. Otton reeled in 28 catches for 250 yards and one score.
