Tennessee Titans signing Andre Dillard should not affect draft strategy
The Tennessee Titans added tackle Andre Dillard to bolster their offensive line. It is only one small part of the fix required.
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans signed tackle Andre Dillard on the first day of the NFL's legal tampering period. Dillard, 27, agreed to a three-year, $29 million contract with Tennessee, according to reports.
Structural details of the Titans deal with the former first-round pick have not been reported as of Tuesday afternoon.
It is a necessary fix for a team in desperate need of help in the trenches. Tennessee released veteran left tackle Taylor Lewan this offseason and has been trying to survive a general lack of availability at that position for the last three years. Dillard, who has also missed time with various injuries, has only nine starts in four NFL seasons.
The Titans are gambling on the upside of a player available at value, but it should not stop them for addressing the offensive line group above all else in this year's NFL Draft.
General manager Ran Carthon cannot completely flip one of the league's worst units in just one offseason. Turning Tennessee's protection problems around will require several different levels of addressing both starters and depth. With Lewan and long-time center Ben Jones released and right guard Nate Davis signed away by the Chicago Bears in free agency, Dillard can serve any number of roles.
Dillard may start at left tackle in 2023, move inside to guard if need be or operate as a reserve for both.
Carthon and the Titans own the eleventh overall selection this April and should still be prioritizing top line talent up front. Lewan's final years in Tennessee were marred by injury and a PED suspension, but he was viable enough to have held down the role for nine years. Carthon needs to find the Titans left tackle of the future to solidify one of their most glaring issues as soon as humanly possible.
While there is no guarantee that a player of that pedigree will fall to Tennessee this year, all options to acquire one should be on the table.
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