The Tennessee Titans have a massive offseason ahead as they find themselves at a bit of a crossroads.
After undergoing the first losing season in the Mike Vrabel era in 2022, the Titans will look to get back on track in 2023. To do so, Tennessee will have to make some difficult decisions over the next couple of months.
Arguably the biggest question the team has to answer is what it should do with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
The Titans have obvious holes at wide receiver and along the offensive line, so barring the team trading up for a quarterback, that’s where most people expect them to go when they’re officially on the clock come April.
Pro Football Network’s James Fragoza recently released a three-round mock draft and has the Titans addressing one of their biggest needs in Round 1.
However, he throws a bit of a curveball in Round 2 before getting back to a true position of need in Round 3. With all that said, let’s dive into PFN’s latest three-round mock draft.
Round 1, Pick 11: OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
Fragoza’s write-up:
(Skoronski) has been my OT1 since the offseason, and he’s done nothing to dissuade me. His shorter arms will be ridiculed throughout the entire pre-draft circuit, but once he hits an NFL field, no one will care. His football IQ, hand usage, and overall technique will endear him to Mike Vrabel and Co.
Skoronski is probably the safest pick to make along the offensive line at No. 11 overall. He may have questions about his arm length, but at the very least, he’s going to be a dominant guard in the NFL.
The Northwestern product is a true technician with fundamentally sound technique. He finished his final college season as the sixth-highest-graded tackle in all of college football (89.5), per Pro Football Focus.
Round 2, Pick 41: EDGE Nolan Smith, Georgia
Fragoza’s write-up:
I don’t know where the NFL will be on Nolan Smith. He checks all the physical boxes, exploding downhill and laterally. But the Georgia EDGE is a bit raw as a pressure generator.
Smith is coming off a season in which he only played 188 snaps. However, according to PFF, over the last two years, he has an average overall grade of 84.3 after he’s accumulated 30 hurries and nine sacks over that span.
Regardless, the Titans desperately need help on offense. Therefore, if they do go this route they’d clearly be picking what is likely the best available player on their board, taking advantage of arguably the deepest position group.
Round 3, Pick 72: WR Cedric Tillman, Tennessee
Fragoza’s write-up:
If the Titans want to truly evaluate Malik Willis, they need to give him some weapons. Cedric Tillmanhas the size, ball skills, and body control to complement Treylon Burks outside.
This would be a welcomed addition for all Titans fans, I would imagine.
Tillman is a big-bodied wide receiver who’s going to provide a massive catch radius for his quarterback to work with.
Since the start of the 2021 season, Tillman has an average overall grade of 73.8 and has totaled 101 catches, 1,498 receiving yards, and 15 touchdowns over his last 19 outings, per PFF.
