It’s no secret that the Tennessee Titans need an influx of talent on the offensive side of the ball.
The offensive line and wide receiver groups in particular need to be revamped if this team is ever going to get back to being a legitimate contender again.
The Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling once again has the Titans addressing both spots in his most recent mock draft. With the Titans’ first selection, he takes arguably the best offensive lineman in the draft, Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. This is what Easterling had to say about the selection:
With Johnston off the board, the Titans shift their focus to the offensive line, which desperately needs help both inside and out. In this scenario, they take the first blocker off the board, landing a battle-tested prospect who has played both tackle spots as well as guard, all with a track record of success against top competition.
Johnson has the potential to be a franchise pillar along the offensive line for a team that desperately needs one. I did a full breakdown of him in the tweet below.
Today’s OL prospect of the day and my personal preference for the #Titans: LT Paris Johnson Jr. (#77) pic.twitter.com/3yNQXpmwBN
— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) January 10, 2023
In the second round, Easterling has the Titans selecting the talented wide receiver out of SMU, Rashee Rice.
According to Pro Football Focus, Rice had the 12th-highest grade (85.9) in the country amongst 1,047 eligible wide receivers. Here’s a bit more on the wideout, per The Draft Network’s Joe Marino:
Top Reasons to Buy In:
- Ball skills
- Size and athleticism
- Alpha mentality
- Ability to make defenders miss in space and win after the catch
- Consistent development throughout his time in college
Top Reasons For Concern:
- The need to acclimate to a more diverse route tree
- Adjusting to a pro-style offense that affords him less space
- Developing consistency with drops
Ideal Role: Featured receiver that can work both from the slot and out wide
Scheme Fit: Spread
Prospect Comparison: Chris Godwin (2017 NFL Draft)
The 6-foot wideout is a productive playmaker who seemingly possesses an alpha mentality on the football field. The SMU product is coming off a dominant season in which he totaled 1,355 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 96 receptions.
He will need to polish up some aspects of his game to fully maximize his talents at the pro level, but his overall skill set would be a nice complement to Treylon Burks and the Titans’ offense.
