Tennessee Titans new general manager Ran Carthon has a massive offseason ahead of himself in his first year on the job.
Carthon takes over an underwhelming roster and a less-than-ideal salary cap situation and has essentially been asked to find a way to save the franchise from falling back into the type of perpetual mediocrity it once resided in from 2009-2016.
One of the biggest challenges the Titans general manager faces is being able to significantly improve the team’s ability to add competent talent through the draft.
To say the team has been inconsistent in that area over the last few years would be a massive understatement.
Luke Easterling of Draft Wire recently released his latest three-round mock draft and shared his thoughts on how the Titans could improve a roster that desperately needs an influx of young talent.
Tennessee could go in a plethora of different directions. Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at who Easterling has the Titans selecting with their first three picks in the 2023 NFL draft.
Note: Easterling did not provide a write-up for the second and third picks.
Round 1, No. 11 overall: OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
Easterling’s write-up:
This offense isn’t going anywhere without some serious upgrades in the trenches. Skoronski might be smaller than most teams would like a tackle to be, but regardless of where he lines up, he’s a Day 1 starter with the polish, power, and technique to help get this unit back on track.
Skoronski is probably the safest pick to make along the offensive line, as he has very little bust potential.
He may have valid questions about his arm length, but at the very least, he’s probably going to be a dominant guard in the NFL if he doesn’t work out at tackle.
Skoronski is expected to have sub-33-inch arms, which would put him around the ninth-percentile mark for all offensive tackles.
Nonetheless, the Northwestern product is a true technician with fundamentally sound technique. He should be given the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise.
Starting today, I will be bringing you prospect rankings for the upcoming #NFLDraft.
Each week I will highlight a position group that will include overall rankings and daily breakdowns for Top Prospects with continued updates up til the draft.We’ll kick things off with The OL: pic.twitter.com/Djp54XYW6N
— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) January 9, 2023
Skoronski finished his final season at Northwestern as the sixth-highest-graded tackle in all of college football (89.5), per Pro Football Focus.
Round 2, No. 41 overall: TE Darnell Washington, Georgia
Darnell Washington is the epitome of what a Tennessee Titan should be. He’s a true tone-setter at the tight end position that excels as a run blocker, while also being a real asset in the passing game when needed.
Washington isn’t the most fluid route-runner, but he has the ability to use his 6-foot-7 height to his advantage, often boxing out smaller defenders to catch the ball over them.
Today’s prospect breakdown:
TE Darnell Washington, @GeorgiaFootball2022 Grades & Stats:
-Overall: 85.7
-Receiving l: 78.3
-Run Blocking: 81.3
-Yards Per Route Run: 1.77
-Drop Rate: 6.7%
-Contested Catch Rate: 40.0%
-Receptions: 28
-Yards: 454
-TDs: 2#GoDawgs #2023NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/iqf0hUvuhK— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) February 15, 2023
The Georgia product finished his final season as a Bulldog with an overall grade of 85.7, a receiving grade of 78.3, and a run-blocking grade of 81.3, per PFF.
Round 3, No. 72 overall: WR Marvin Mims, Oklahoma
Many Titans fans want the team to add more speed to their offense and Marvin Mims would certainly accomplish that.
Mims may be a smaller wide receiver, but he is capable of taking the top off opposing defenses at any moment. He’s also a surprisingly sufficient blocker for someone of his stature (5-foot-11, 182 pounds).
The Oklahoma product has the type of competitive spirit that is going to fight to hold his own in every facet of the game.
Despite his physical limitations, Mims finished his three years at Oklahoma with an average overall grade of 79.2 during that span (2020-2022).
