Titans get national praise for 2023 draft class
The Tennessee Titans' 2023 draft is a difficult one to judge. While the Titans added a lot of promising prospects that will set them up for future success, it's impossible to look at Tennessee's draft choices without being skeptical of the position groups they prioritized. Tennessee did well to address their offensive line. The Titans got good […]
The Tennessee Titans' 2023 draft is a difficult one to judge. While the Titans added a lot of promising prospects that will set them up for future success, it's impossible to look at Tennessee's draft choices without being skeptical of the position groups they prioritized.
Tennessee did well to address their offensive line. The Titans got good value in both Peter Skoronski and Jaelyn Duncan, who provide immediate depth to a position group that was a major weakness in 2022.
That said, I do find it puzzling how a team can come out of both free agency and the draft without a major addition at wide receiver. For me, that factors into my judgement of this draft, but not every national outlet feels the same way.
The Titans were one of just four teams to earn an "A" grade from Pro Football Focus for their 2023 NFL Draft haul. Other teams to receive that grade are the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, and Seattle Seahawks.
Drafting Peter Skoronski 11th overall is a slam dunk that gives the Titans an instant starter at a position of need. Whether Skoronski is at left guard or left tackle in 2023, there is little doubt that he will be an anchor and leader on the Titans' offensive line, even as a rookie.
In the later rounds of the draft, the Titans picked up Josh Whyle, an athletic tight end that can pose a threat as a pass catcher and take the field in 12 personnel packages alongside Chig Okonkwo. Jaelyn Duncan's college production is concerning, but he is valuable depth and for a sixth-round offensive tackle, he has every physical tool you could ask for.
UT Martin's Colton Dowell is a heartwarming story that anyone can get behind. Even if you had never heard of Dowell before he was selected by the Titans, nobody is going to rip a draft class for what the team did at receiver in the seventh-round.
From what I've seen, most criticism of the Titans' draft is in regards to their second and third round draft picks on Friday. Tennessee traded up in the second round to select quarterback Will Levis with the 33rd overall pick and picked Tulane running back Tyjae Spears in round three.
Here's PFF's analysis on the Titans' day two draft selections:
Day 2: Will Levis’ slide ends early on Day 2, with the Titans trading up to Pick 33 to grab the signal-caller. Levis has supreme arm talent and an ultra-quick release, but the big knock on him is how little he put that into action. He lacked high-quality throws at Kentucky last season, which played a part in his middling 65.8 passing grade on the year. The good news is that Levis lands in an offense that will help open up some downfield opportunities.
Spears profiles as a nice complement to Derrick Henry in Tennessee’s backfield. He is dangerous in the open field and is coming off an elite final season at Tulane during which he forced 63 missed tackles on the ground. Spears averaged at least 4.5 yards after contact per attempt in each of the past two seasons.
My criticisms of the Spears pick are more criticisms of the Titans' priorities than they are Spears as a prospect. Tennessee invested a 2022 fourth-round pick in running back Hassan Haskins, and even after Haskins had a quality rookie campaign, the Titans used more significant draft capital on another running back with Haskins and Derrick Henry already in their backfield…All while passing on the available wide receivers.
There are also some concerns with Spears' medicals from the combine. Ian Rapoport reported that Spears' previous ACL surgeries leave him with no ACL, a loss of cartilage, and arthritis in his knee. Spears is healthy at the moment, and ran healthy all season for Tulane last fall, but some folks around the league are concerned about the longevity of his career.
But as PFF points out in their write up, Spears is a dangerous runner in the open field that was dominant for the 2022 Green Wave.
Levis, on the other hand, will not be without skeptics of his on-field abilities until he proves it at the NFL level. His arm talent and athleticism have all the makings of a franchise quarterback and he is well-versed in a pro-style offense.
Decision-making, accuracy, and his lack of "high-quality throws" in college are the main drawbacks with Levis, but the Titans' offense might be the perfect professional transition for him. Levis will be able to develop under the tutelage of Charles London and Ryan Tannehill before taking the reins in 2024.
I love the Will Levis pick. Especially at 33 overall. That's some incredible value on a prospect that had legitimate Top 10 buzz and could very well be the franchise quarterback you need.
Obviously, not everybody feels the same way. Levis has always been a polarizing prospect and there is a very loud contingent of fans who doubt him. But if Levis hits, this entire draft class will be remembered fondly.
