The Tennessee Titans still have the playoffs to embark on, but the 2022 NFL draft is also right around the corner, with the event set to begin on April 28 in Las Vegas.
In his latest three-round mock draft, Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling has the Titans taking edge rusher Myjai Sanders out of Cincinnati in the first round, and then Iowa State tight end Charlie Kolar in the third.
Of course, Tennessee doesn’t own a second-round pick in the upcoming draft after it was traded to the Atlanta Falcons as part of the Julio Jones deal.
Before we analyze these picks, here’s what Easterling had to say about Sanders and why he’s a fit for Tennessee:
Harold Landry had a breakout season, but who knows what the future holds for Bud Dupree in Tennessee. The Titans would be wise to use this pick on a young, promising edge rusher, and Sanders has all the physical tools to quickly develop into a dynamic defender in the pros.
While we are a fan of Sanders as a player, chances are the Titans wouldn’t take an edge rusher this early unless Harold Landry flies the coop in free agency. We don’t expect that to happen.
The Titans also have Bud Dupree signed for the next four years, and fourth-round pick Rashad Weaver will be returning from injury in 2022. As long as Landry and those two return next season, the Titans will likely wait on selecting an edge rusher, if they take one at all.
As far as the third-round pick is concerned, taking a tight end in that spot is much more likely.
Tennessee never really filled the hole at tight end after Jonnu Smith left, and while MyCole Pruitt, Geoff Swaim and Anthony Firkser have done a decent job as a whole in a three-man rotation, none of them appear to be long-term solutions as an every-down tight end.
Kolar (6-foot-6, 255 pounds) is coming off a senior season in which he posted his best numbers in college. He reeled in career-highs in receptions (62), yards (756), and added six touchdowns. Jordan Reid of The Draft Network says Kolar is an “average blocker.”
Sanders (6-foot-5, 255 pounds) saw his sack total go down from 10.5 in 2020 to just 2.5 in 2021 despite playing in four more games. He also added 7.5 tackles for loss, one pass defended and one fumble recovery.
