Titans 2024 NFL Draft Breakdown: The hit rate on Top-10 offensive tackles over the last decade
The 2024 NFL Draft is less than two weeks away, but plenty of question marks remain when it comes to the Tennessee Titans' plan with the No. 7 overall pick. The Titans, who still have a handful of holes along its roster, could go in a couple of different directions with the team's first-round draft […]
The 2024 NFL Draft is less than two weeks away, but plenty of question marks remain when it comes to the Tennessee Titans' plan with the No. 7 overall pick.
The Titans, who still have a handful of holes along its roster, could go in a couple of different directions with the team's first-round draft pick. With that being said, the two most pressing needs in Tennessee reside on the offensive side of the football.
The Titans left a lot to be desired with an impotent offensive output in the 2023 season. While Titans GM Ran Carthon has shored up a few of the team's offensive issues, many believe the Titans will look to draft its offensive tackle of the future with the seventh overall pick.
Offensive tackle prospects such as Joe Alt (Notre Dame), Olu Fashanu (Penn State), Taliese Fuaga, JC Latham (Alabama) and Troy Fautanu (Washington) are among the most popular players at the position in the 2024 class.
But how many will pan out? Let's take a look at every offensive tackle drafted in the top 10 over the last decade and what the hit rate tells us about the risk involved when targeting one of the most important positions in football.
Offensive Tackles selected in the Top 10 since 2014:
Hits: Charles Cross (2022), Penei Sewell (2021), Andrew Thomas (2020), Mike McGlinchey (2018), Ronnie Stanley (2016), Jack Conklin (2016), Jake Matthews (2014)
Misses: Evan Neal (2022), Jedrick Willis (2020), Ereck Flowers (2015), Greg Robinson (2014)
Too early to tell: Paris Johnson Jr. & Darnell Wright (2023)
Breakdown: All seven players listed in the 'Hits' category have either made at least one Pro Bowl or All-Pro team in their careers with the exception of Cross, who is well on his way. Both Wright and Johnson caught on late in their rookie campaigns last season and appear to be on track to joining the aforementioned group.
Hit Rate: 63.6 % (Wright and Johnson not included)
In Conclusion
Tennessee is coming off of a disastrous year up front. Whether it was in run-blocking or pass, the Titans were constantly bulldozed in the trenches. In order to maximize the development of QB Will Levis and turn the page offensively under head coach Brian Callahan, Tennessee must take a massive stride in offensive line play.
The free agency additions of RB Tony Pollard, WR Calvin Ridley and C Lloyd Cushenberry are a commitment to a new era to modernized offense in Tennessee. What those additions also tell us is that the Titans appear prepared to solve its offensive tackle problem in the draft.
Whether its Alt, Fashanu, Latham, or a surprise player in a trade back scenario, patching up this hole up front will likely occur with the team's first pick.
No matter which prospect the Titans pounce on, he will under a significant amount of pressure in his rookie season. While the NFL's top offensive lines are a collaborative effort, the Titans must find a left tackle capable of holding his own on Levis' blind side as the team searches for an answer at quarterback in a pivotal 2024 season for the franchise.
