The 2023 NFL draft is officially just 10 days away from kicking off and we’ll soon have some answers as to what the Tennessee Titans will do with their six picks.
As we continue to inch toward April 27th, everyone is starting to finalize their opinions as to who they want to target when their team is on the clock.
Over the last few months, we have done several mock drafts, including those that discuss a variety of different scenarios. This time around, we are going to take a swing at trading back into the late 20s to see what type of package that kind of trade could possibly yield.
In this particular scenario, the Dallas Cowboys were interested in trading up from No. 26 overall to No. 11.
Thankfully, a similar trade was made just a few years ago between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, therefore, we are going to use that compensation package as a baseline for what Tennessee can possibly get.
Back in 2017, the Chiefs traded Nos. 27 and 91 overall, as well as a future first-rounder to jump all the way up to No. 10 overall to select quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
In this scenario, I went ahead and swapped No. 11 overall to the Cowboys for Nos. 26 and 90 overall in 2023, while also acquiring Dallas’ 2024 first-round pick to seal the deal.
This may seem pricey, but make no mistake about it, dropping down 15 slots is going to be expensive.
You’re essentially asking the Titans to give up their right to select one of the top offensive linemen or wide receivers in the draft and instead settle for whatever is left at the end of the round. That sacrifice isn’t going to be cheap.
The good news is this type of trade gives the Titans a ton of flexibility to add more talent to their roster. To be perfectly honest, the most underrated aspect of this deal is the future first that comes with it.
No, that move isn’t going to help the team next season, but it potentially sets Tennessee up with some real ammo for next year’s draft in case the Titans need to move up to select their next quarterback.
Despite having to trade back to the end of the first round, I felt very satisfied with the haul I ultimately secured. Lets not waste anymore time and dive right into our second-to-last mock draft of the season.
Round 1, No. 26 overall: OT Anton Harrison, Oklahoma
Anton Harrison is not only one of the most experienced linemen in this class, but he also happens to be one of the best pass protectors in this entire draft.
According to Pro Football Focus, since the start of 2020, Harrison has only allowed four sacks and three quarterback hits over his last 1,002 pass-blocking snap.
Needless to say, after last year’s disaster along the blindside, that type of consistency would be more than welcomed in Tennessee.
Harrison also has the athletic fluidity to get out in space and make blocks on the move, something the Titans tend to look for in their offensive linemen.
However, if The Oklahoma product is ever going to reach his full potential, he desperately needs to continue improving his overall functional strength.
There is a lot to like about this 21-year-old prospect, whose best football is undoubtedly still ahead of him. If the Titans do in fact trade back into this range, the former Sooner would be a prime candidate to target.
Round 2, No. 41 overall: WR Josh Downs, North Carolina
Josh Downs is one of my draft crushes who many are overthinking simply because of his size. To be fair, the concern is valid to an extent, but every prospect has something concerning about them. Nobody is perfect.
But when something like that is truly your only real major red flag, that probably says you’re a damn good football player who people should probably stop discrediting for stuff he can’t control.
If Josh Downs were bigger with the same tape, he'd be WR1 in this class. The weaknesses to his game are being 5-9, 171 pounds and never playing outside. Dude is a baller.
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) April 16, 2023
The frustrating thing when discussing Downs is how too many people base their entire opinions on preconceived notions they’ve created in their heads as to what a position/player should look like.
You can tell this is the case with someone when you ask for reasons why they don’t like a prospect and they immediately resort to discussing stuff that doesn’t have anything to do with them.
This happens a ton with the former Tar Heel despite having arguably some of the best film at his position in the entire draft.
If you tell me you aren’t a fan of his because of something you don’t like about his game, I’ll 1,000 percent respect that opinion.
However, it’s the moment where your entire reasoning is based on the John Ross’ of the world that respectfully deserves an eye roll.
No, Downs won’t ever be as physically imposing as some of the bigger receivers in the NFL. On the contrary, most of the bigger wideouts could only dream about being as sudden, smooth, and manipulative as he is.
I know I’ve said this before, but I’m a massive Josh Downs fan.
His game is so damn smooth, sudden, & cerebralMy dream scenario is the #Titans walking away with either Paris Johnson Jr. or Peter Skoronski in Round 1 and Josh Downs in Round 2.#CarolinaFootball 🐏 pic.twitter.com/RJF6myn5yY
— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) March 24, 2023
The North Carolina product would instantly provide the Titans with a massive upgrade in the slot. This would ultimately allow someone like Kyle Philips to fill the reserve role he was always best suited for as a fifth-round pick.
At the end of the day, regardless of his size, there truly is a lot to like about Downs, and I genuinely believe someone is going to get a baller as long as he’s put in situations to succeed.
When it comes to the Titans, simply put, if I am going to bet on any of these smaller wideouts in the draft, I’m taking a chance on Downs every time.
Round 3, No. 72 overall: WR Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss
Fortunately, now that I have two third-round picks after trading down in Round 1, I am now able to double down at wideout to get someone who is better suited for the physical aspect of the Titans’ offense.
Jonathan Mingo is a big-bodied (6-foot-2, 220 pounds), physical receiver who has true playmaking abilities after the catch. He can be a real problem for smaller defensive backs to deal with once the ball is in his hands.
Mingo would complement Treylon Burks as one of the primary receivers on the outside, while Downs and Chigozoem Okonkwo work the middle of the field. However, the Mississippi native has the versatility to play on the inside as well.
According to Pro Football Focus, Mingo lined up outside on approximately 56 percent of his passing snaps (246-of-440), while 35 percent of those snaps took place out of the slot (154-of-440).
Another thing that is intriguing about the Ole Miss product is the fact that he embraces his role as a blocker. Mingo obviously has the size and strength to hold his own, but he combines it with the type of physical mindset that makes him difficult to deal with in the run game.
That toughness, physicality, and skill set at his disposal also gives him a chance to compete when the ball is in the air during contested-catch situations.
Ideally, you would prefer for him to create more separation for himself in tight coverage, but his physical nature helps to mask a lot of his shortcomings that usually come from his lack of explosiveness.
Mingo may not be a finished product by any means, but there is undeniably a lot to work with from a willingness and technical standpoint. It may take some time to unlock his full potential, but this selection could reap major benefits down the line if a team is patient with his development.
More importantly, Mingo would instantly provide some much-needed depth and upside to a wide receiver room that desperately needs both.
Should this go according to plan, the Titans’ skill players by the end of Day 2 would now look like this:
- RB: Derrick Henry
- WR: Treylon Burks
- WR: Jonathan Mingo/Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
- Slot: Josh Downs/Kyle Philips
- TE: Chig Okonkwo
Sign me up for that group any day of the week.
Round 3, No. 90 overall: IOL Chandler Zavala, North Carolina State
Now that the receiver position has been addressed, it’s time to shift our focus back to the offensive line with our third-round pick that was acquired in the trade.
With my last pick on Day 2, I went ahead and added someone who has been flying up draft boards as of late, and for good reason. Chandler Zavala has one of the most impressive athletic profiles for an offensive lineman in the entire draft.
The North Carolina State prospect finished with the seventh-highest ‘Relative Athletic Score’ (9.49) at his position after receiving a composite grade of “great” when it came to his agility, explosiveness and speed testing.
He also happens to be a consistent presence in pass protection, only allowing four pressures on 422 pass-blocking snaps last season.
Watching Chandler Zavala from NC State. Surprised he wasn’t a combine invite because his taped showed he deserved it. Dude can pass protect. Will be a good pro. pic.twitter.com/R1vQcxtrle
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) March 28, 2023
In order to turn into a full-time starter at the next level, Zavala has to become more consistent with the fundamental aspect of his game, but there is a ton to work with.
The former NC State lineman would provide some valuable depth along the interior in 2023, while also having legitimate long-term starting potential.
Round 5, No. 157 overall: CB Cory Trice, Purdue
Cory Trice is one of my favorite Day 3 prospects in the draft. The 6-foot-3 defensive back is likely going to be a victim of being in one of the deepest cornerback classes in quite some time.
Purdue CB Cory Trice in coverage last season:
⚫️ 359 Coverage Snaps
⚫️ 1 TD Allowed
⚫️ 2 INTs | 9 PBUs
⚫️ 51.3 Passer Rating Allowed pic.twitter.com/xJyZnrPaUG— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 11, 2023
Trice is a former linebacker who embraces the chance to beat up on smaller receivers at the line of scrimmage. The Purdue product only allowed one catch on 88 press snaps in 2022, per Pro Football Focus. Trice’s blend of size, length, and physicality makes him a difficult defender to target.
Last season alone, he only allowed approximately 47 percent of his targets to be completed on him. The former Boilermaker also happens to be a force in the run game as well.
You’d have to imagine that Trice’s aggressive tendency of playing fast and physical football would be intriguing to a Mike Vrabel-led team
Round 6, No. 186 overall: TE Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan
Luke Schoonmaker isn’t the most versatile prospect at his position, but he has the potential to eventually develop into a valuable asset to a run-heavy offense like the Titans’.
Final Prospect Breakdown of the Week:
TE Luke Schoonmaker, @UMichFootball2022 Grades & Stats:
Overall: 72.7
Receiving: 78.7
Run-Blocking: 55.7
Yards Per Route Run: 2.15
Drop Rate: 5.4%
Contested Catch Rate: 28.6%
Receptions: 35
Yards: 418
Touchdowns: 3#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/XRMCaOR8Ra— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) February 17, 2023
The Michigan product is an interesting project at this point in the draft. He is a powerful blocker at the point of attack and has the type of play strength that can easily displace defenders from their spots.
He amplifies his success rate whenever he combines his power with adequate technique (pad level, base, hand placements, etc.). Sadly, reps like that aren’t nearly as consistent as you would hope for at the movement.
He may not be the most technically sound tight end in the draft, but Michigan product noticeably plays with an impressive contact balance that makes him difficult to beat at times.
The former Wolverine would be best suited as an inline tight end where he’ll be able to use his size, strength and toughness to seal the edge in the run game.
When it comes to the passing attack, he is a surprisingly reliable target for his quarterback. Schoonmaker has a knack for identifying and getting to the soft spots in zone coverage so he can throttle down and provide a safety outlet for his quarterback on any given play.
He may not be the savviest route-runner or anything of that nature, but he’s a big-bodied, hands catcher who rarely drops catchable passes thrown his way.
The good news is that a lot of his weaknesses in both areas can be fixed with patience, repetition, and proper coaching at the NFL level. Giving someone like Schoonmaker a chance at this point of the draft would be a massive win for the Titans.
Round 7, No. 228 overall: K Jake Moody, Michigan
I decided to end the draft by taking one of the best kicking prospects in this year’s class. Jake Moody is coming off an impressive 2022 campaign that saw him set single-season program records for made field goals (29), PATs (60), points scored (147), and 40-plus yard field goals in a season (10).
Moody also owns career program records for points (355), PAT percentage (100), field goals (69), 40-plus yard field goals (17), and tied-most 50-plus yard field goals (four).
If the Michigan legend is still on the board at this point in the draft, they should run to turn this card in.
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