The Tennessee Titans’ 2023 NFL draft was the most polarizing one for the team in recent memory, and quite possibly one of the most polarizing in franchise history.
Going into the draft, anyone and everyone who covers or follows the Titans expected the team to come away with a wide receiver relatively early on. In fact, I mistakenly predicted they would draft two guys at the position.
Boy, was I wrong.
Instead, the Titans didn’t take a wideout until the seventh round in Colton Dowell, who would be lucky to make a roster on most teams. Thankfully for the UT-Martin product, he’s joining one of the worst groups in the NFL.
As a result of their six picks, some players and units as a whole came away as winners, losers, and somewhere in between. Let’s see who or what qualifies as each.
Before we get to it, a reminder of the class: OT Peter Skoronski, QB Will Levis, RB Tyjae Spears, TE Josh Whyle, OT Jaelyn Duncan, WR Colton Dowell.
Winners: WRs behind Treylon Burks
Outside of a trade for a star veteran wide receiver, this draft was never going to have any impact on Burks, who has been and will continue to be projected as the team’s No. 1 wideout.
What it did do, however, was give guys like Kyle Philips, Chris Moore, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Racey McMath a better shot to land a big role after the team didn’t address the wide receiver position until Round 7.
While he’s a promising young player by some accounts, a seventh-round receiver like Colton Dowell cannot be expected to give this group what it needed, which was an impact player near the top of the depth chart.
Entering the draft, the Titans had a lackluster top four of Burks, Moore, NWI and Philips (put the last three in any order, really), and they left the draft with the same top four.
Where do the Titans go from here?
They’ll be looking for castoffs from other teams, whether that be wideouts who are cut or available via trade. Good luck finding the solution this team needs like that.
In between: The offense
It’s hard to completely call the Titans’ offense a loser after this draft.
Yes, the lack of an impact wide receiver definitely hurts the group, but the Titans also spent every one of their picks on offense, the only team in the NFL to draft players all on one side of the ball.
It was also the first time since the draft expanded to seven rounds in 1994 that the franchise made selections all for one side of the ball.
“It honestly just dawned on me about 30 minutes ago that it was all offense,” Carthon said of his class, per Teresa M. Walker of the Associated Press. “We were just playing the board… But it wasn’t a designed plan or anything.”
Tennessee added two much-needed offensive linemen, including one who could be a long-term starter at left tackle (Skoronski) and another who will likely serve as depth in Year 1 but could develop into a starter down the line.
The Titans may have found their quarterback of the future in Levis, and while they perplexingly didn’t give him another young receiver or two to grow with and put him in a better position to succeed should he start in Year 1, they at least gave him a few potential weapons in Spears and Whyle.
If there was ever a year where the Titans needed to load up on the offense, this was the one. So, while we might not be in love with every pick and the fact that the wide receiver position wasn’t adequately addressed, at least the team heavily addressed the side of the ball that had far more issues.
In between: Whoever starts at QB
Whether it’s Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis or Will Levis under center this year, their receiving corps. is not looking good after a season in which we saw just how tough that can make things for a quarterback.
Not even a veteran like Tannehill, who has had plenty of success in Nashville over the years, could overcome that lackluster 2022 group. Now, whoever is starting in 2023 might have to deal with an even worse group.
The only saving grace that helped me avoid labeling the quarterbacks losers is the fact that the Titans added two offensive linemen, one of whom figures to start right away in Skoronski.
At the very least, Tennessee’s offensive line looks to be improved from where it was going into this offseason. Assuming everything works out, at least the starting quarterback should have more time to find guys who can’t get open.
Winner: The defense
While an all-offense draft was at least mostly a result of the Titans playing the board, the fact that they didn’t deviate at all to grab a defensive player shows they’re confident in the group they have.
Among the positions I could’ve envisioned Tennessee addressing were any in the secondary and at EDGE thanks to concerns over health, and at linebacker where the team is projected to start two players who lack full-time starting experience in Monty Rice and Azeez Al-Shaair.
However, things remain status quo in all spots, and I’m fine with that.
Tennessee’s defense was one of a few redeemable qualities from the 2022 team and they don’t even win seven games without it. Going into 2023, it remains the team’s strength and stands to be elite if everyone can stay healthy. That’s a BIG if, though.
Losers: Mike Vrabel and Ran Carthon
A few years from now I may have to eat my words when it comes to how this draft went, and if that turns out to be the case I will happily chow down.
But right now there’s no question a lot of fans are not happy and have lost at least some faith in their general manager and head coach, with some even calling for the former’s firing, which is the definition of premature.
The explanations from Ran Carthon and Mike Vrabel for why the team passed up on wide receivers in the early-to-middle rounds and how they plan on actually adding to the position moving forward were less than acceptable.
Even if you want to justify these picks by saying they were made with an eye on the future rather than the present, the Titans had both a present and future need at wide receiver and it was easily their No. 1 priority going into this draft. They did nothing to address that.
While being frustrated with this draft is understandable, none of that matters now and all we can do is trust in what Carthon and Vrabel are doing until they’re proven wrong.
What you shouldn’t do, however, is this:
DONE… pic.twitter.com/1NewEKgsJR
— PJ22 (@PJ222222) April 29, 2023
Winner: K Caleb Shudak
The Titans reportedly added a UDFA kicker in Trey Wolff but did not select one in the draft.
Now, in all fairness to the Titans, kickers were coming off the board ridiculously early (Jake Moody was drafted in the third round), so I understand why they avoided taking one.
The Titans not investing draft capital in a kicker is good news for Shudak, whose only competition is the Texas Tech kicker. Barring the addition of a veteran, which remains very possible, Shudak should be considered the favorite for the job right now.
Losers: Starting guard and/or tackle options
Guys like Corey Levin, Jamarco Jones and Dillon Radunz (when healthy) all stood to have a shot at a guard spot ahead of or during the 2023 season with the group as it was, but the addition of Peter Skoronski greatly hurts their hopes, if not dashes them completely.
Maybe you can throw Daniel Brunskill in that group, but I think he remains the favorite to land the right guard job and won’t be impacted by this pick.
In my way-too-early starting offensive line projection, I have Skoronski slotting in at left guard to start his career, with Andre Dillard manning left tackle. Of course, I expect Skor to slide over in the years to come.
But whether Skoronski ends up at left guard or left tackle (Dillard may man left guard if Skoronski wins the competition), he’s going to start in 2023, which is bad news for the aforementioned players.
The addition of Skoronski could also be bad news for right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere, who may end up being the odd man out if Tennessee decides to roll with a combination of Dillard and Skoronski at the tackle spots after training camp competitions play out.
NPF might have another out in that scenario, though, as some believe he could transition to guard if need be. I still firmly believe NPF will be the starting right tackle, but I don’t believe he’s completely safe, either.
Loser: RB Hassan Haskins
One season after the Titans picked Haskins in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft, they drafted another running back in Spears in the third round.
Now, it’s very possible these two end up being a tandem in the years to come once Derrick Henry moves on, whether that be before or during this season, or after it with this being a contract year for The King.
However, as of right now, this pick hurts Haskins’ chances of seeing touches when Henry isn’t on the field.
Henry was already gobbling up a ton of touches, leaving scraps for the guys behind him. Now, Haskins will get even less opportunities if Spears is able to contribute in Year 1.
Check out Shaun Calderon's redo of the Titans' 2023 NFL draft
