Ever since last season mercifully ended, the offensive tackle position has been one of the most discussed topics within the Tennessee Titans’ fanbase.
Longtime starter Taylor Lewan tore his ACL early in the year, and the team was forced to trot out a true turnstile of an offensive lineman in Dennis Daley.
The combination of Lewan’s unavailability and Daley’s incompetence forced the Titans to make a change at the most important position on the offensive line.
Tennessee has already made some notable additions to the offensive line, with the biggest splash being the signing of former first-rounder, Andre Dillard, in free agency.
Dillard can play guard or tackle, but where he ends up will depend on what in the NFL Draft.
This article is going to discuss one possible offensive tackle prospect for each round of the draft in which the Titans have a pick. We’ve already covered wide receivers and tight ends, so let’s dive right into what is arguably the Titans’ biggest need heading into draft week.
Round 1: Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
Paris Johnson Jr. has everything you could want in a modern-day franchise left tackle.
He isn’t the most technically sound at the moment, but you could make a strong argument that he has the most intriguing blend of athleticism and length among all of the offensive tackle prospects.
That type of lethal combination on the blindside gives him the highest ceiling of all the tackle prospects, in my opinion.
Everything that he occasionally struggles with at the moment is correctable (overly-leaning, oversetting, pad level, etc.) over time with constant repetition and hard coaching.
However, you can’t teach 36-inch arms, fluid hips and quick feet for someone who is 6-foot-6 and 313 pounds.
Johnson will likely go through some rookie growing pains early on, but his talent and potential are undeniable.
Prior to the season, the former Buckeye hadn’t taken a snap at left tackle, yet Johnson excelled and looked like a natural there, earning consensus All-American honors by year’s end.
The Ohio State product could technically play guard if needed, but that would be a waste of someone with his skill set.
If Johnson is still on the board when the Titans pick, it’s a pretty safe bet that he’ll be on the short list of prospects who are realistically being considered.
Round 2: Darnell Wright, Tennessee
Darnell Wright is someone who is starting to get talked about for all the wrong reasons. Recent reports have unfortunately started to attack his character in a variety of different ways.
Darnell Wright was a polarizing prospect with scouts in today’s offensive line takeout from @BobMcGinn. A theme this draft.
“Lazy, but he blocked Alabama, he blocked Georgia like it was nothing.”https://t.co/kcfkUiWkbT pic.twitter.com/7FrU3ooCS3
— Go Long (@GoLongTD) April 20, 2023
Wright seemingly didn’t do himself any favors, either, by getting into a public spat on Twitter (NSFW) with someone who was critical of his game.
The good news for a team like the Titans is these types of red flags could ultimately drop Wright down further than his talent warrants.
The Tennessee product would be a fantastic addition to their offensive line at this point of the draft. He’s a dominant right tackle who could also kick inside to guard.
His mauling play style would thrive in a run-heavy offense like the Titans’. He isn’t the most natural mover, but kicking him inside could help to mask some of those issues.
If Tennessee doesn’t go offensive line in Round 1 and Wright happens to still be on the board, you’d have to imagine that his name is among those being debated in the war room.
Round 3: Blake Freeland, BYU
Blake Freeland is an intriguing prospect who has a ton of untapped potential. He absolutely dominated the combine, confirming that he was one of the most athletic offensive linemen in this class.
Freeland finished with the highest Relative Athletic Score at his position after receiving an impressive 9.83.
The most eye-popping part about the BYU product is the way he fluidly moves for someone who is 6-foot-8. Tennessee often talks about wanting athletic linemen who can get out in space and punish the opposition at the point of attack.
Freeland happens to be one of the more fluid movers in the draft, but sadly he doesn’t have the type of displacing power Tennessee often prefers.
Freeland also happens to be far from a finished product from a technical standpoint, but that’s to be expected for someone getting selected in this range.
Nevertheless, those are things that can improve over time once this becomes his full-time job.
Final OL Prospect of the week:
LT Blake Freeland, @BYUfootball (#71)Freeland is someone that I'm very excited to watch at the @seniorbowl next month.#GoCougs #Titans pic.twitter.com/Tg0Epyu1Zw
— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) January 13, 2023
At the end of the day, his athletic profile at his size is something that cannot be coached up, and that is going to make him an intriguing Day 2 prospect in all likelihood.
Round 5: Carter Warren, Pittsburgh
Carter Warren may not be the most fluid athlete in the draft, but he is a ridiculously long lineman who has a seven-foot wingspan that allows him to mask a lot of his athletic deficiencies.
The Pittsburgh product currently needs a lot of work from a fundamental standpoint, but he plays with well-timed hand usage that helps to maximize his length when punching defenders at the point of attack.
Warren has the prototypical size (6-foot-5) and length (35 inches) that NFL teams are often looking for when identifying a potential mid-round project.
Unfortunately for him, Warren’s draft stock undoubtedly took a hit after he suffered a torn meniscus early in the year.
#77 Carter Warren, I know he's older and had injuries, but he's good at football.
I must not be a Bengals fan though cause according to Lance Zierlein we don't watch Pitt tape pic.twitter.com/qnc6at4lOo
— Joel Chandler (@BengalScoutJoel) April 17, 2023
Warren could prove to be an incredible value pick for the Titans on Day 3 once he’s healthy and is allowed to patiently develop his skill set around NFL coaching.
Round 6: Warren McClendon, Georgia
Warren McClendon is one of the more experienced linemen who is being overlooked for a variety of different reasons.
The two-time national champion is a three-year starter who has played a whopping 2,196 snaps over the last three seasons, and he’s been a consistent force in pass protection over that span, not allowing a single sack since 2020.
Despite all this, when it comes to his athletic profile, nothing truly stands out about McClendon’s size or athleticism, which subsequently lowers his ceiling as a prospect.
Nonetheless, he makes up for it by being one of the savvy linemen who rarely beats himself. The Georgia product usually compensates for a lot of his deficiencies with a high-effort, cerebral, and physical style of play.
For those who appreciate good O-line execution this is a thing of beauty, especially frontside combo by Georgia RT Warren McClendon. 👀
This is how you draw it up!#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE™️ pic.twitter.com/UzhmYmyw1r
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) February 25, 2023
If McClendon is still on the board in Round 6, the Titans should strongly consider adding someone like him who can strengthen the depth all across the offensive line.
Round 7: Alex Palczewski, Illinois
Alex Palczewski won’t be a lock to make the team or anything like that, but he offers the type of experience and production that is at least worth a shot at the end of the draft.
Got yesterdays Pro Day numbers for #Illinois OT Alex Palczewski.
He posted a 4.58 short shuttle, which would’ve been second best among OTs at the #NFLCombine.
65!! career college starts, didn’t allow a sack in 2022, 2nd team All-American. and impressed during @ShrineBowl week. pic.twitter.com/LoRTn65lU4
— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) March 11, 2023
There is a chance that the Titans could possibly lure the Illinois product to Tennessee as an undrafted free agent, but a selection at this point ensures they won’t have to deal with the extra madness to secure his rights.
The former Fighting Illini lineman has finished the last two seasons with an average overall grade of 80.4, per PFF.
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