One of the positions the Tennessee Titans could target in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft is wide receiver, and the latest mock draft from Pro Football Network has the team doing just that.
Pro Football Network’s Joe Broback has the Titans selecting Georgia wide receiver George Pickens at No. 26 overall in the first round.
“George Pickens going in the first round would be the biggest surprise of the draft, but stranger things have happened. While he missed nearly the entire season to injury, he still flashed WR1 ability in his limited action. Georgia also didn’t utilize his skill set as much as it should have.
“At his peak, there’s no doubt that Pickens is a first-round pick, but it comes down to a team willing to give him a chance this early. That could be Tennessee, who needs an explosive playmaker out wide.”
We could definitely see the Titans taking a wide receiver in the first round, but that will depend upon a few things.
If the Titans plan on bringing Julio Jones back, taking a wide receiver this early becomes less likely, although Tennessee could still draft one at some point with an eye on the future, as Jones will be 33 this month.
Also, the status of Dez Fitzpatrick will factor into this decision. The need for a wide receiver becomes less dire if the Titans are confident in the 2021 fourth-round pick stepping into a larger role at some point.
As far as the specific prospect is concerned, Pickens is an intriguing but risky one. Once considered one of the best receivers in college football, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound wideout tore his ACL in 2021, limiting him to just four games.
Putting that aside for now, here’s what Pickens brings to the table, per Drae Harris of The Draft Network:
“George Pickens is a very good athlete with downfield speed, agility, and body control. In the run game, he doesn’t provide much in terms of stalk blocking. Due to his wiry frame, he can be out-physical’d by stronger DBs who are defending the run. It’s in the passing game where he excels. He is sudden off the line of scrimmage and quickly closes the DB’s cushion. He is fluid and shows good body control as a route-runner, easily attacking leverage against man coverage. He has a very good catch radius and shows tremendous athleticism to contort his body and make difficult catches on off-target throws. He is a natural hands-catcher with strong mitts who easily catches the ball away from his body. He is a matchup problem in slant/fade situations. He can defeat press with foot quickness but will need to add mass, bulk, and upper-body strength to his wiry frame in order to play through physicality in the NFL. Because he is lean and there have been injury concerns in his past, this could affect the projection to the next level. So while the grade is reflective of the talent level, there are other factors that could factor into his projection. Ultimately, he has redeeming value in his athleticism, agility, and catch radius.”
On top of needing depth, the Titans could use a receiver who can stretch the field, and Pickens would check that box. It remains to be seen if those needs will be enough for Tennessee to take one in the first round, though.
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