Only two teams in the NFL have drafted as many offensive lineman in the first three rounds of drafts as the Tennessee Titans have since 2019.
Ian Hartitz of Fantasy Life crunched the numbers and they show the Titans have taken a total of five offensive lineman from Rounds 1 to 3 over the previous five drafts.
That’s tied for the most in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants.
That’s significant because, despite the high number, the Titans have sported one of the worst offensive lines in the league for three years running.
Tennessee gave up 47 sacks in 2021 (seventh-most), 49 in 2022 (tied fifth-most) and 64 in 2023 (tied fourth-most). The Titans also gave up 56 sacks in 2019, the third-most in the league.
Total Rounds 1-3 draft picks used on each position over the last five years.
(Lots of different listings on defense with some pass-rushers being OLBs + some secondary players simply being dubbed DBs so if any of those numbers seem off that's probably why. Cool? Cool) pic.twitter.com/GGS5adKvXf
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) February 13, 2024
The five linemen Tennessee has drafted in the first three rounds in that span are Nate Davis (2019), Isaiah Wilson (2020), Dillon Radunz (2021), Nicholas Petit-Frere (2022) and Peter Skoronski (2023). Of course, Davis and Wilson are no longer with the team.
Davis was OK over his four years in Nashville but dealt with injury issues and it’s safe to say he didn’t pan exactly how Tennessee had hoped, and Wilson was one of the worst draft picks in NFL history.
After two rocky years that included a torn ACL in 2022, Radunz finally started showing he may be a starting-caliber player in his third season following a strong finish.
NPF had an up-and-down rookie season in 2022 before losing his starting job in 2023 following a gambling suspension, and then he suffered a season-ending injury after struggling in his limited opportunities.
Skoronski had his issues during his rookie campaign but it was a solid season nonetheless. It’s important to note that the Northwestern product was learning a new position and had to overcome an appendectomy that sapped his weight and strength. He managed to finish the season strong, though.
Former general manager Jon Robinson was an absolute disaster in the draft after an incredible 2019 class, but his misses along the offensive line were easily the most glaring.
There is still time, however, for NPF and Radunz to prove Robinson right.
Current general manager Ran Carthon looks to have hit on his first offensive line pick in the first three rounds (Skoronski) and there’s a chance he’ll get another crack at it this year with the Titans set to rebuild their offensive line.
