Titans select first round WR in ESPN’s early 2023 mock draft
A recent mock draft from ESPN’s Matt Miller predicted the Tennessee Titans to select a wide receiver in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. With both NFL and college football right around the corner, it’s the time of year that everyone begins looking forward to kickoff and the excitement that comes with it. […]
A recent mock draft from ESPN’s Matt Miller predicted the Tennessee Titans to select a wide receiver in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
With both NFL and college football right around the corner, it’s the time of year that everyone begins looking forward to kickoff and the excitement that comes with it. For draft analysts, this is where they begin formulating opinions on players, team needs, and position groups for next year’s draft.
Matt Miller, an NFL Draft contributor for ESPN, has worked as an insider for the draft for over 10 years. He just released his very first 2023 mock draft using a draft order determined by the 2023 predictions in ESPN’s Power Football Index.
Miller has the Titans slotted with the 14th overall pick, selected WR Jordan Addison, formally of Pitt, now at USC:
Jordan Addison, WR, USC*
Another receiver for Tennessee? The Titans traded wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Eagles in April and used the first-round pick they got in return on Treylon Burks, but Burks struggled in offseason practices. He could still star as a rookie, but this team must keep improving its pass-catchers around quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
The versatile Addison, who won the Biletnikoff Award at Pitt last season, transferred to USC, where he should become young signal-caller Caleb Williams' go-to weapon in Lincoln Riley's explosive offense.
Addison won the Biletnikoff for a reason. As a sophomore at Pitt, he had a monster season, recording 100 receptions, 1,593 yards, and 17 touchdowns from quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Addison is an above-average athlete for the position, running a 4.5 in the 40 as a senior in high school. At Pitt, he demonstrated quick lateral and linear burst with impressive change of direction that makes him an exceptionally refined route runner. He can win deep when he needs to, but his bread and butter comes from being shifty off the line of scrimmage.
While the Titans selected Arkansas WR Treylon Burks with the 18th pick in the 2021 draft, there’s a good possibility that wide receiver could still be the main hole in the Titans roster come next year’s draft.
Burks struggled through summer minicamp, and Robert Woods is on the wrong side of the 30. If Burks emerges as a star rookie, it’s possible the Titans decide to go in another direction, but for the time being, prioritizing targets for Ryan Tannehill seems like it would make the most sense.
The ability to land a player of Addison’s caliber also may be too good to pass up. He’s one of the best and most dynamic wide receivers in the country, listed as WR2 by Miller behind Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Injigba.
This is all, of course, a “way too-early" mock with many things subject to change. If things go to plans for Tennessee in 2022, the 14th pick won’t even be a possibility. It is, however, exciting to begin thinking about the NFL and college football season just around the corner.
Let’s circle back to this one in March and see if Addison could still find his way to the Titans.
Image Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
