7-Round Tennessee Titans mock draft following Senior Bowl practice week: standouts at wide receiver, edge rusher, and other positions of need
The Titans have a big need at OT, EDGE, WR, LB, and S: here’s how they get all of them
With the Senior Bowl in the rearview mirror, it's finally time for some Tennessee Titans mock drafts.
In my Mock Draft 1.0 each year, I kick things off with a mock of only players who were in Mobile for the all-star game. While limited in nature, the Senior Bowl truly is a great place to start for Titans picks. NFL front offices value the process and relationship-building that goes on every January at the unofficial start of each draft season. Last year, the Titans drafted JC Latham and then nothing but Senior Bowl players the rest of the way. Needless to say, the Senior Bowl is a strong mix of high-level talent and quality sleepers.
The first pick in this mock won't be from the Senior Bowl, since no top-10 caliber players participate in the all-star circuit. But every pick after that will be. Also, in the spirit of the QB-talent-deficient Senior Bowl, we're going to leave the Titans QB situation ambiguous in this one. There's plenty of time left to sort through that puzzle. For now, we'll focus on Tennessee's laundry list of needs elsewhere.
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Round 1, Pick 1: Abdul Carter | EDGE | Penn State
Historically speaking, the most common non-QB position taken with the first overall pick is an edge rusher. And in this class, Abdul Carter is more than worthy of being a first overall pick.
The Titans, by my count, have three needs that are flashing red on the dashboard: QB, RT, and EDGE. They need to find a serious starter at all three positions before Week 1 in September. But with no 3rd round pick (sent to KC for Sneed last summer), they're either going to have to address one in free agency or sacrifice one of those needs to the later rounds. Finding a stud EDGE and RT in the first 35 picks is very doable. But if they go QB at 1, something has to give. I'd be surprised if the Titans don't look to hit EDGE or RT hard in free agency to give themselves options heading into draft day.
Round 2, Pick 35: Aireontae Ersery | OT | Minnesota
Ersery is the tackle prospect who impressed me the most in Senior Bowl practices. For starters, just standing amongst the other offensive linemen on the field, he was the most offensive-tackle-looking offensive tackle of the bunch. The three-year LT starter out of Minnesota comes in at 6’6, 339lbs. The guy looks like a caricature of a Minnesotan lumberjack.
One thing to know about Titans OL coach Bill Callahan is that he has a type at tackle: big, athletic for their size, with an industrial-sized anchor. It’s what he has sought out and built his best lines with over the years. If you want a perfect example of who I’m talking about, feel free to check out the Titans 1st round pick last year: LT J.C. Latham.
Ersery checks a lot of the archetypal boxes for a Bill Callahan OT. He’s willing and capable of switching to the right side at the next level, and his length and strength would be a perfect addition to the Titans line. He’s currently listed at 35th overall on the Consensus Big Board, which is the exact pick Tennessee has in the 2nd Round.
Round 4, Pick 101: David Walker | EDGE | Central Arkansas
The 98th overall player on the Consensus Draft Board is a textbook FCS question mark: sure, you dominated at the level you played at. But will it translate when you face NFL talent?
Walker had a strong week of practice at the Senior Bowl, assuaging those concerns. The 6'2, 260lb EDGE has a ton of college experience (6th year senior) to put towards his transition to the next level.
His bag of tools is deep and diverse. He's as good an FCS rusher as you're going to find in this class. And after his week in Mobile, betting on his skills translating against significantly improved opponents feels like as smart choice.
Round 4, Pick 118: Jaylin Noel | WR | Iowa State
This pick belongs to the Titans via SEA, thanks to the trade-deadline move sending Ernest Jones to the Seahawks. Jaylin Noel came into the Senior Bowl as the perceived lesser of the two Iowa State wideouts participating. But when he left, his name was front of mind for everybody in attendance.
At 5'10, 200lbs Noel is a thick enough player to be taken seriously as more than just a slot. His height will always be something to consider, but his athleticism and separation ability make you forget about it in a hurry.
Noel is about as versatile a player as you can ask for in his mold. There were a plethora of receivers similar to him in Mobile. His game rose above the rest. In a group of players who didn't show their NFL route running skills off particularly well, Noel was a nice change of pace. He looks the part on the field.
Noel won WR of the week for the National team at the Senior Bowl, and for good reason: the 117th player on the Consensus Draft Board is poised to rise up the ranks quickly.
Round 5, Pick 141: Clay Webb | IOL | Jacksonville State
The 173rd player on the Consensus Draft Board is Clay Webb, who isn't your typical small school player.
Webb was at Georgia for three years and was buried on the depth chart behind the best of the best. He transferred to Jacksonville State and immediately thrived as a starter. His week in Mobile against higher-level talent demonstrated his ability to hang at an NFL level. Webb would be a nice addition to the Titans OL, fighting for the starting RG role.
Round 5, Pick 168: Jeffrey Bassa | LB | Oregon
This pick belongs to the Titans courtesy of the Chiefs, thanks to the DeAndre Hopkins trade. There weren't many linebackers worth writing home about in Mobile, but Oregon product Jeffrey Bassa was an exception.
Bassa is a well-rounded prospect, and one of the more athletic linebacker options in the class. He is currently the 165th player on the Consensus Draft Board.
At 6'2 230lbs, Bassa is a three-down player capable of one day wearing the green dot for an NFL defense.
Round 6, Pick 179: Tyler Shough | QB | Louisville
In the 6th round, why not take a swing on a QB prospect? Sure, the Titans will address the position in a far more substantive way than this when it all plays out this spring. But for the sake of this Senior Bowl mock, we'll have them take the best QB from Senior Bowl practices to develop.
Shough is currently the 228th prospect on the Consensus Draft Board, but his showing in Mobile could catapult him up towards early Day 3 status.
Shough looks and sounds the part, has a good enough arm with good enough mobility, and demonstrated his processing skills during the all-star week. He's worth taking a flier on to develop as a backup.
Round 7, Pick 240: Hunter Wohler | S | Wisconsin
Finally, the Titans take a swing on the 256th prospect on the Consensus Draft Board: S Hunter Wohler.
Tennessee has serious needs up the spine of their defense, at both LB and S. Wohler stood out as one of the best options in Mobile.
He has a versatile frame and skillset that will translate to Sundays.
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