We are just days away from the 2023 NFL draft and are inching closer and closer to finally getting some answers on what the Tennessee Titans will do with their six selections.
Quite frankly, I’m exhausted. The endless stream of rumors, speculation and mock drafts has me more ready for this draft to be here (and over) than any other draft I can recall.
Part of the reason why this part of the offseason feels likes it’s dragging more than most years is because the Titans haven’t been that active in free agency, leaving a huge gap in the action.
However, the moves the Titans have made has led to a change in the order of importance of Tennessee’s biggest needs from where they were at the start of the offseason.
What that in mind, an updated look at the Titans’ biggest needs going into the 2023 NFL draft, which begins on Thursday, April 27.
1. Wide receiver
The Titans had arguably the worst receiving corps. in the NFL last season but haven’t done anything to upgrade the group in free agency, with the signings of Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Chris Moore being the only moves.
The Titans need at least one receiver in this draft, and it’s very possible they’ll double up at the position. Ideally, Tennessee adds both speed and size when the draft is all said and done.
The problem for the Titans is that this year’s receiver group is a bit shaky, making it possible Tennessee doesn’t address receiver at No. 11 despite it being a major need.
2. Quarterback
Yes, the quarterback position is the most important in the NFL and the Titans could definitely use a long-term solution as Ryan Tannehill’s time with the team is seemingly winding down.
However, he’s still under contract for 2023 and will, at the very least, keep the Titans competitive if he gets the nod under center for one more year.
If the Titans believe their guy is in this draft and they can land him at No. 11 or with a trade up, they shouldn’t hesitate to make that move. But as long as Tannehill is here, the quarterback position is in a better spot right now than wide receiver.
3. Guard
While much of the focus has been on the left tackle spot this offseason, the Titans appear to at least have a potential solution there after the team inked Andre Dillard in free agency.
I don’t think Dillard’s presence on the roster precludes the Titans from taking a left tackle in this draft, but he does knock that need down the list a bit, making guard the biggest need along the offensive line right now.
The Titans signed Daniel Brunskill to presumably man one of the two guard spots, but he’s coming off a season in which he wasn’t even a starter in San Francisco.
For the other guard spot, Jamarco Jones, Corey Levin and Dillon Radunz all figure to be in the mix. However, there’s no indication when Radunz will be ready after a torn ACL in 2022, Jones didn’t play a single snap last season, and all three of those options lack full-time starting experience.
The ideal pick for the Titans is Peter Skoronski, who would check multiple boxes. He can start his career at guard (and excel there) before eventually moving to left tackle if the Dillard experiment doesn’t work.
Some would say center is another need upfront, and while that might end up proving to be true, I think it’s pretty clear the Titans have Aaron Brewer pegged for that role for at least one season.
Drafting guys like Joe Tippmann or John Michael Schmitz on Day 2 would not only give Tennessee a potential solution at guard for 2023, but also a possible long-term solution at center.
4. Left tackle
Based on Dillard’s contract, I believe the Titans fully intend on playing him at left tackle in 2023, which knocks this need down the list a bit.
However, Dillard only has nine career starts under his belt and is no lock to pan out, which means the Titans should still be looking at left tackles. I also wouldn’t rule out Tennessee looking at right tackle, as the jury is still out on Nicholas Petit-Frere after a rocky rookie season.
If the Titans do decide to go with a left tackle in the first round, the team has the option to slide Dillard to the inside. Ideally, the Titans walk away with Skoronski if they do take an offensive lineman at No. 11, as he can fill a guard spot and eventually move over to left tackle if need be.
5. Kicker
If there’s any team out there who understands how important it is to have a good kicker, it’s the Titans.
Before two solid years with Randy Bullock, the franchise was absolutely lost at the position, with several kickers coming and going in that span. Even with Bullock, the Titans were limited to shorter field goals because of his lack of leg strength.
As things stand now, the Titans only have Caleb Shudak on the roster, and while the 2022 UDFA has the bigger leg the team is looking for, he lacks experience and didn’t exactly show out in his lone start.
The Titans need to add competition to the position, and while I would have preferred an established veteran, the next best thing is to spend a late-round pick on a rookie, with Michigan’s Jake Moody being my personal favorite.
Late-round picks often fail, which is why the Titans shouldn’t hesitate to spend one on a kicker in the hopes of filling one of their bigger needs.
6. Tight end
The addition of Trevon Wesco gives Tennessee a good blocking tight end and decent No.2 option behind Chigoziem Okonkwo, who will be the No. 1 tight end in 2023.
But the team could still use another addition at the position, and one who can make an impact as both a blocker and pass-catcher to help keep teams honest when Tennessee deploys two tight ends. Of course, being that this is a backup, the bigger emphasis is on blocking.
The good news is, the Titans won’t have to spend a Day 1 or 2 pick on that kind of player, as there will be plenty of solid options in the later rounds of this draft.
Honorable mention: Linebacker
After parting ways with both David Long and Zach Cunningham, the Titans’ projected starters at linebacker are Azeez Al-Shaair and Monty Rice, both of whom have yet to prove themselves as full-time starters in the NFL.
Tennessee has added Ben Niemann and Luke Gifford, but both figure to be backups in 2023.
With the overall uncertainty surrounding the group, it wouldn’t be at all shocking to see the Titans spend a pick at the position on Day 2 or 3, especially if there’s a good off-ball linebacker available.
Honorable mention: EDGE
If Harold Landry wasn’t coming off a torn ACL this position wouldn’t even be listed. However, the fact that he is and may not be himself the first year back helps make this a need, albeit not as big as the others.
This need isn’t just about Landry, though. The Titans parted with Bud Dupree and DeMarcus Walker, we still don’t know how Arden Key and Rashad Weaver will pan out in bigger roles, and Denico Autry is a free agent following this season.
Ultimately, I think the Titans don’t add an edge rusher until later in the draft, if at all, but such a selection is definitely a possibility at some point.
Honorable mention: Cornerback
There’s no question the Titans’ secondary is loaded with young, promising players who could form an impressive group in 2023. However, there is also a ton of uncertainty surrounding the cornerbacks room.
Kristian Fulton hasn’t been able to stay healthy and is in the final year of his rookie deal, Elijah Molden is coming off an injury-plagued sophomore campaign, and Roger McCreary is entering just his second season.
Thankfully, Tennessee has some good depth options beyond those three in Tre Avery and Sean Murphy-Bunting, which stops this position from being higher on the list.
However, with the long-term uncertainty throughout the group, the Titans might consider adding someone at the position, and it wouldn’t shock me to see them do so in the early rounds, although I wouldn’t be a fan of it with Tennessee having much bigger fish to fry on offense.
Honorable mention: Safety
On the surface, the Titans have two locked-in starters at safety in 2023. However, when you dig a bit deeper, this position isn’t as secure.
Amani Hooker is one of many Titans who has battled injury woes over the years, including during the first year of his three-year, $30 million deal.
If Hooker falters again in any way this season, he’s a definite candidate to be cut in 2024, as his contract carries a reasonable out next year ($5 million dead cap).
After declining to take a pay cut recently, the Titans and Kevin Byard are reportedly “at a crossroads,” and while I don’t think he gets moved, it’s possible given the current situation.
Byard is also in the second-to-last year of his contract and trading or cutting him next offseason would save a sizeable chunk of change ($9.7 million) if Tennessee wants to go that route.
Ultimately, I expect Byard and Hooker to man the starting spots for at least one more year, but with both of their futures at least somewhat uncertain right now, the Titans might be looking to the future.
