The Tennessee Titans are hosting Michigan State running back Tyjae Spears for a pre-draft visit on Wednesday, which is the final day teams can bring in prospects to their own facility for testing, etc.
The news comes from Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston, who notes the Tulane product has also visited with the Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons.
According to our Shaun Calderon, Spears is the No. 4 running back in this class behind Texas’ Bijan Robinson, Georgia’s Jahmyr Gibbs and UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet.
“Special player in space who can make defenders miss in a phone booth,” Calderon wrote. “Is capable of hitting the home run on any given play.”
Our in-house draft guru believes the 5-foot-10, 203-pound back could get drafted anytime between the middle of the second and late in the third.
Tulane @GreenWaveFB running back Tyjae Spears visits #Titans today, per a league source, visited #Texans #Falcons. Rushed for 1,581 yards, 18 touchdowns last season with 22 catches, 256 yards, two scores @seniorbowl @JimNagy_SB #NFLDraft2023 https://t.co/uunGHBeUb5
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 19, 2023
The Titans’ interest in any back will always turn heads as long as Derrick Henry is on the roster, but that’s especially true with trade rumors swirling around the superstar back this offseason.
However, I wouldn’t take this as a sign one way or the other.
Sure, it’s possible Tennessee moves on from Henry (I don’t think they do) and drafts his replacement (the Titans also have 2022 fourth-round pick Hassan Haskins) but it’s also possible the team is just doing its due diligence and considering the future beyond 2023, when Henry will be a free agent.