The Tennessee Titans were in a state of flux heading into the draft. What do their 2023 NFL Draft grades tell us about the possibility of them climbing back to the top of the AFC South in the near future? With only six picks in the lead-up to the event, they had a lot of work to do.
Tennessee Titans Draft Grades
Round 1, Pick 11: Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern
The Titans’ most pressing need comes on the offensive line. They’ll eventually need to find their QB of the future, but their QB for the present is already on the roster. From Andre Dillard on the left side to Nicholas Petit-Frere on the right, there isn’t a single spot on the offensive line that couldn’t be improved upon by the addition of Peter Skoronski.
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Maybe he’ll be a Day 1 starter on the left side. Maybe he’ll move to the right side. Or maybe Skoronski’s lack of anatomical length will force him inside, where he’ll likely be a Pro Bowl-caliber blocker. Skoronski is as physical as he is technically sound.
Grade: A
Round 2, Pick 33: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Getting Will Levis at 33 is something that not many believed was a legitimate possibility before yesterday. Moving up to make sure the Titans got their guy was integral, as was their addition of Skoronski the day before.
Levis was meant to be a Tennessee Titan. While he certainly has a bigger arm and is more naturally athletic than Ryan Tannehill, Levis’ game is incredibly similar to the Titans’ current QB. He should thrive in a heavy play-action offense that likes attacking the middle of the field on crossing patterns.
Most importantly, they didn’t have to sell the farm with lackluster draft capital to do it.
Grade: A
Round 3, Pick 81: Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane
The Titans absolutely needed to address the RB position at some point during the draft. Even though we’ve seen flashes from Hassan Haskins, Derrick Henry is nearly 30 years old at this point.
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Tyjae Spears is quick and explosive, while also possessing some nice contact balance despite his somewhat smaller frame. But his bread will be buttered by making defenders miss with his lateral mobility.
Grade: B
Round 5, Pick 147: Josh Whyle, TE, Cincinnati
Overall, Josh Whyle might struggle to be a consistent blocker at the next level because he lacks the prototypical length associated with consistent run blocking, but his college tape was solid in that area. He should provide depth alongside Trevon Wesco.
Grade: B-
Round 6, Pick 186: Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland
Jaelyn Duncan is an incredibly inconsistent blocker because of focus and technique issues, but he has every athletic measurable needed to succeed at the NFL level, and his tape shows flashes of a starting-caliber left tackle in the league.
Grade: A
Round 7, Pick 228: Colton Dowell, WR, Tennessee-Martin
Colton Dowell may never be a starting-caliber NFL receiver, but at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, he is exactly the archetype of receiver the Titans favor. But Dowell also ran a 4.42 at that size, and if he can improve technically despite being a bit stiff, the explosive receiver may contribute in a downfield role and on special teams.
Grade: B
What Were the Titans’ Biggest Needs Entering the Draft?
- WR, OT, C, G, EDGE
The Tennessee Titans’ offense is the stuff of nightmares. Treylon Burks flashed as a rookie, but the Titans need far more receiving talent than Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Kyle Philips provide (even though he flashed as a rookie).
But Tennessee’s offensive line is a dumpster fire. They could stand to look for improvements from left tackle — which they won’t because they just paid Andre Dillard nearly $10 million out of thin air — all the way to right tackle. Not a single spot on their line should be safe. For a team that wants to play football like it’s the 1990s, the Titans sure have a funny idea of how to build a team.