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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Mike Moraitis

Titans go OT, WR in Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft

In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper has the Tennessee Titans taking a left tackle in the first round and a wide receiver in the second.

At No. 7 overall, Kiper mocks Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt to the Titans in what is the least surprising pick ever. Alt has been the most popular choice by far for draft analysts, and for good reason, as the Titans have had the worst left tackle situation in the NFL the past two years.

The second round pick is more interesting, with Kiper pegging Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall to Tennessee. Here’s what Kiper had to say about the pick:

The Titans signed Calvin Ridley to a big contract last month, but 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks has disappointed over two seasons and DeAndre Hopkins will be a free agent in 2025. There’s room for a young wideout on this roster. Pearsall had 98 catches and nine touchdowns in his two seasons at Florida, and his 4.41-second 40 at the combine solidified himself as a top-50 pick.

It’s true, the Titans did address their need at wide receiver in a big way with the signing of Calvin Ridley, but they’re facing a situation in which they may be right back in the same boat in 2025 that they were entering this offseason when it comes to wide receiver.

DeAndre Hopkins is on the final year of his deal and there’s no telling what the Titans will get from Treylon Burks moving forward. If Hopkins leaves and Burks fails to revive his career, it’s going to be Ridley and nobody else.

Pearsall’s best fit will be as a slot receiver, but he does have the ability to move around the formation, something head coach Brian Callahan would like. He’s also got adequate speed to make plays down the field, something Tennessee’s receivers room could use.

Overall, this is a solid mock for the Titans, but so is just about any one that has them landing Alt at No. 7.

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