Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans IDEAL First Three Rounds, Offensive Line Choice & Perfect Tight End Fit

Episode Date: March 26, 2023

The Tennessee Titans got a nearly perfect haul in a recent four-round mock draft from Chad Reuter of NFL.com. The Titans were able to hit the offensive line, tight end and wide receiver. The Titans had a hard choice to make with their first pick and which offensive linemen they wanted. Secondly, the Titans were able to pair a perfect partner with tight end Chig Okonkwo. Finally, the Titans address wide receiver and draft someone who may give Titans' fans flashbacks!Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.Ultimate Football GMTo download the game just visit Ultimate-GM.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A close to perfect start for the Titans with their first three picks in this four-round mock draft. I'm going to break it down and more on today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Let's get it! You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked On Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland.

Titans fans, it's Mock Draft Monday, and we got a four-round mock draft to go over. The Titans get about as close to perfect as they can with their first three picks. We're going to dive into each of those selections before we do. I want to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content

on all platforms, all year long, and always for free. You're not going to beat that anywhere else. So make sure that you get subscribed and stay subscribed to the Locked on Titans podcast on whatever platform you do stream and the Locked on Titans YouTube channel. Make sure you hit the thumbs up button right now. I definitely do appreciate all the support that you guys show to the show. Also, make sure that you hit that notification bell

so you know when any of the content goes live. But with that being said, we got to dive into this four-round mock draft. And it comes from Chad Reuter from the NFL.com. And interesting pick to start things off, in my opinion, considering the choices that the Titans have. So at pick number 11, the Titans had the option of any wide receiver that they wanted in the NFL draft.

They also had the option of any offensive lineman that they wanted in the NFL draft. And while I may lean the other way, I certainly can't hate the selection of Peter Skowronski, which is what Chad Reuter did in this mock draft for the Titans, the offensive lineman out of Northwestern. Can he play left guard? Will he play left tackle?

All I know for certain is that Skowronski is going to be a starter on the offensive line for the next five years. No doubt. He's versatile, so he can play guard for certain, but we saw him play left tackle his entire career in college. So to me, it's just an incredibly safe pick for the Titans, and it would make a lot of sense with what they've done in free agency. I've talked about the fact that Andre Dillard could play a little bit of left guard.

He could play left tackle. Of course, that's what he said himself. He had his sights set on. So there is versatility with both those guys. And think at that point, the Titans would be looking at an offensive line, let's just project it, of Andre Dillard at left tackle, Peter Skowronski at left guard, Aaron Brewer at center, Daniel Brunskill at right guard, Nicolas Petit-Ferrer at right tackle.

I mean, while that is certainly not the best offensive line in the league, that's not terrible. I mean, that is a huge improvement over what the Titans had on the offensive line last year. So when you look at that and you think about the possibilities, it would make a lot of sense to me. Now, what I do have to say and what I will say here is that I would have gone Paris Johnson Jr. If the draft falls that way for real, if the

Titans have their pick of offensive linemen and wide receivers, I'm going with the same pick that I've had since draft season kicked off and the Titans season ended. I'm going with Paris Johnson Jr. I don't care. And I said this last week. I built an entire show around this premise. I don't care what the Titans have done in free agency. It does not affect what they should do in the draft. None of the contracts that they've signed

indicate that they believe these players are long-term options. So to me, with that in mind, you can't alter your draft strategy based on your free agent signing. So I'm not going to go in with the pick of the litter of offensive linemen and say, well, I think Paris Johnson Jr. is going to be the better player long-term. I think he's a true left tackle no matter what. But I just signed Andre Dillard. So I'm not going to pick Paris Johnson Jr.

I'm going to pick Peter Scranton because I think he's going to play guard. And I just signed Andre Dillard. I am not going to allow Andre Dillard to have that sort of impact on my draft plan. And I truly do believe, I truly do believe, that Paris Johnson Jr. is going to be a franchise left tackle for the next five to ten years. Andre Dillard can kick in and play left guard for all I care.

Go with Paris Johnson Jr., Dillard at left guard, Brewer, Brunskill, NPF, and you got a similar setup. Andre Dillard may be upset, but he's getting starting guard money at about $10 million a year, right? That's starting guard money. So he can't be that upset. The Titans are giving him an opportunity to be a starter, to make starting level salary. So he should be excited about that upset. The Titans are giving him an opportunity to be a starter, to make starting-level salary.

So he should be excited about that opportunity. And when he's inevitably gone in a year or two, two years most likely, you still have Paris Johnson Jr. right there as your rock franchise left tackle, which is so, so important. And the Titans have been relatively lucky when it comes to offensive tackle play

throughout the history of the franchise. So this would just be another long line of that. I would still take Paris Johnson Jr. relatively lucky when it comes to offensive tackle play throughout the history of the franchise. So this would just be another long line of that. I would still take Paris Johnson Jr., but again, again, you can't be upset about the pick of Peter Skowronski if that's where the Titans go. Because you know that you're going to have a bona fide NFL-level starter at guard or tackle

for the next five to ten years as well. It's just a little bit of a safer pick with a little less upside, in my opinion. But, I mean, if the Titans leave with Paris Johnson Jr. or with Peter Skowronski, I'm not going to be upset if that's their first pick in the NFL draft. But we got to move forward to the Titans' second pick. And, man, this was a tough one. This was a tough one when you consider the options on the

board, but before we get into that, do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. FanDuel is America's number one sportsbook, and look, I know, I know that it's not the NFL season, but basketball is just in a great place right now. The tournament is heating up. The NBA season is coming down the final stretch. It's a perfect time to be a new customer to FanDuel because right now you can get a no sweat first bet up to $1,000. That's $1,000 back in bonus bets.

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Make every moment more with FanDuel. Titans fans, we are going to continue today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. It is a mock draft Monday. I can already hear the YouTube people say, it is Sunday. It's Sunday. I hear you. I hear you.

Just be happy that you're getting this thing a little bit early. But either way, we're going to continue. We talked about the Titans' first round pick in Chad Reuter's four-round mock draft. Of course, the Titans only have three picks in the first four rounds. They have pick number 11, pick 41, pick 72. Pick number 11 got Peter Skowronski. I would have went with Paris Johnson Jr. considering he was on the board. But you can't be upset about the pick of Peter Skowronski. I would have went with Paris Johnson Jr. considering he was on the board, but you can't be upset about the pick

of Peter Skowronski, who should be a great offensive lineman for the next half decade to decade for the Titans. But pick number 41, things got spicy. Things got difficult. For me, looking at what Reuter did, I couldn't be mad about an offensive line selection. That made a ton of sense, whether

it be Paris Johnson Jr. or it be Peter Skowronski. I would still go offensive line over wide receiver. Been thinking about it, thinking about the situation. I still want to make the offensive line as great as they can possibly get it. If we got to worry about wide receiver next year and a better wide receiver class, then you do that. Okay, but you got to fix the offensive line right now, so I like that. But the next pick we have could have done even more to help the offensive line. And I think the pick that ultimately gets made by Chad Reuter for the Titans in the second round still helps the offensive line.

So I'll explain that. I do want to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. We have offensive line or offense and defense starter projections coming in the next few days. I'm going to break down who I think is the starter right now at each spot and what the Titans need to do going forward. Also going to be answering some of your guys' questions

in a mailbag episode coming up later this week. And then, of course, next week we'll have another Mock Draft Monday. Going to do a little seven-round Mock Draft with you guys post-free agency. Should be a lot of fun. A lot of great content coming your way here on the Locked on Titans podcast. Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content. All platforms, all year round, and always for free. But with that second-round pick, Chad Ruder has the Titans taking.

Darnell Washington, the tight end out of Georgia. And guys, I wrote about this on Sports Illustrated's All Titans site where I'm a staff writer over there. But this is a fantasy pick for me. Darnell Washington would be the perfect, I mean the perfect pairing with Chig and Conqua. I couldn't possibly think of a more perfect fit for Chig than Darnell Washington. And look right now, the Titans have one tight end that is NFL caliber on the entire roster, and that is Chig and Conqua.

So they could use a guy in free agency. They definitely could use a tight end in the draft. They have to get one of the tight ends in this draft class. This is a fantastic draft class. I saw Daniel Jeremiah say that there are as many as 10 potential starters at tight end in this draft class. For the Titans, it's all about fit

because Chigaconquo is your classic move tight end. Little undersized, maybe not a great one-on-one blocker in a phone booth, but a guy that can get on the move and make some blocks. The Titans used him coming across the formation on some split flow. The Titans used him as a trapper at times coming into the interior of the offensive line.

Using his athleticism, using his speed to his advantage in blocking. That makes a lot of sense. But still, still, because of his size and just his limited ability to be a one-on-one blocker, the Titans are going to need that in-line, big-bodied, physical tight end. As I've said all offseason, since last offseason, the Titans need a better version of Jeff Swaim. They need like a starting level player that has a skill set in a game like Jeff Swaim.

You want him to be a better pass catcher than Swaim. Hopefully a little bit better of a blocker as well. But you have to have that type of tight end to play with Chica Conquo. It's the same thing as why the Titans have to have a complimentary running back to Derrick Henry. Derrick Henry is a fantastic player. Maybe the best running back in the entire NFL. But he has a limited skill set that requires a specific type of player to be in your backfield with him.

And that's the Deion Lewis type. That is what the Titans tried to find in Darrington Evans. Dontrell Hilliard. You guys see what I'm saying here? You need that type of guy to balance out Derrick Henry in your backfield. So it's the same thing at tight end. The Titans need a guy like Darnell Washington to balance out who Chigaconquo

is as a tight end at that spot. Now, there were other options on the board here. John Michael Schmitz, who imagine if the Titans had Peter Skowronski and Andre Dillard on the left side, John Michael Schmitz at center, then Brunskill and NPF. I mean, that is a vastly, vastly improved offensive line, and it puts Aaron Brewer back down to where I think he should be in his career as a utility offensive lineman as the primary backup on the interior. I mean, that makes a lot of sense. At wide receiver, Cedric Tillman, Rasheed Rice,

they were options as well. They were available. That could have made some sense. But to me, I'd love to pick a Darnell Washington not just because of the pairing with Chigaconquo but in this offense the second tight end can be just as important

as the second wide receiver. With the way the Titans play multiple formations with the way the Titans like to play multiple tight ends also Chigaconquo, some wide receiver ability he could play in the slot. So the Titans could come out in a two tight end formation with Derrick Henry in the backfield, and then they could flip the formation to a three wide receiver formation with a tight end and with Derrick Henry in shotgun and move Chigaconquo out to the slot. It would give them so much versatility on the offensive side of the ball with their personnel groupings and their formations.

I think a second tight end like Darnell Washington could be just as important to the Titans as a second wide receiver, and that's why I love that selection there for the Titans. But we're going to move forward. We're going to look at the last pick the Titans make in this four-round mock draft, pick number 72, and I'm sure you guys can guess what position has to come next. Before we get into that, though,

I do want to thank you guys again for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. As for your second listen, check out the Locked on NFL Scouting with the Draft Dudes podcast. You get free agency. You get the draft, salary cap management.

They're going to break down all of that and more. It's NFL experts Kyle Krabs and Joe Marino. They're going to take you through what building a successful NFL franchise looks like every Monday through Friday. Find Locked On NFL Scouting with the Draft Dudes wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. It's part of the Locked On Podcast Network where it's your team every day. Titans fans, let's cap off today's edition of the Locked On Titans podcast. It is a mock draft Monday.

We've gone through the Titans' first pick, which was Peter Skowronski, the offensive lineman from Northwestern. We've gone through the Titans' second pick, which was Darnell Washington, the tight end out of Georgia. Now we are going to cap it off with yet another pick on the offensive side of the ball. But, I mean, if you're paying attention to the roster right now, that shouldn't really be any surprise.

Before we get into it, I want to thank you guys again for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. Remember, we got starting lineup projections on offense and defense coming your way in the next few days. Going to have a mailbag episode as well. Another mock draft Monday coming next week. So much content leading up to the NFL Draft. We're going to go over a ton of

prospects at every single position. Thank you so much for tuning in. Make sure you get subscribed and stay subscribed to the Locked on Titans podcast. But at pick number 72 in the third round with the third pick and final pick for the Titans in this four-round M draft from Chad Reuter from NFL.com.

The Titans select one of my guys. Jonathan Mingo, wide receiver, Ole Miss, 6'2", yards after catch threat, hard worker, who you could tell has studied and improved on his craft. Smart route runner. Good at tracking the ball downfield. Who did I just describe? Wide receiver, Ole Miss, 6'2", yards after catch.

Hard worker. It's Jonathan Mingo, guys. Not who you're thinking about, but it's hard not to see some parallels there. I think that he must not be named, redacted, is a better athlete like burst-wise and juice-wise, out of his breaks, all of that. So you don't want to make a true comparison there, but I think Mingo, with his work ethic and

his physical abilities, Mingo had a 9.97 relative athletic score. If you guys follow RAS graphs, it's a combination of your size. It's like your height, your weight, your arm length, all of your testing. And you put all of it together for like a total athletic score out of 10, 9.97 for Jonathan Mingo. I think that you bet on that athleticism. You bet on his work ethic. You bet on his ability to play in the slot, which you know he can do right now,

and play a little outside, play a little Z off the line of scrimmage, coming in motion, things like that. I think you pair Jonathan Mingo, a big-bodied athletic freak, with Traylon Burks, who's that as well. And that is exactly the type of Titans wide receiver group that you're looking for. And I think with Mingo and Burks, you could have a little A.J. Brown, Corey Davis dynamic going on with the way that they play.

So I just absolutely love it. Yeah, the Titans could have gone with another wide receiver. Josh Downs from North Carolina was there. Jaden Reed from Michigan State was there. But those guys are both smaller guys. And look, Rancar Thon built big and fast teams in San Francisco. Mike Vrabel likes his athletes big and fast. He's talked about it a ton.

Bingo brings you a ton of speed, 4.46, 40-yard dash, but also at 6'1 and some change, close to 6'2, 220 pounds. I mean, he's a monster. Intimidating physique. I mean, if the Titans left the draft with Peter Skowronski, Darnell Washington, and Jonathan Mingo, I would have a freaking heart attack on screen.

I mean, I would be floored. I would be elated. What a great three-man trio to start off. No, they don't have a fourth-round pick, but it could not go much better than this in the draft. I mean, the only thing that I, another one of my guys who I don't think ends up at 72, but in some of these mock drafts has been around there is Rasheed Rice.

He went before this and he will go before 72, but that could have, that's the only thing that I would have changed with the third pick. If it was Paris Johnson Jr., Darnell Washington, and Rasheed Rice, that is an AA plus, but that's most likely not going to be a possibility anyways. So getting Skowronski, Darnell Washington, and Jonathan Mingo, I give that a flat A, man. That is an A. Someone call Chad Reuter and tell him to be ready to make the picks for the Titans in the draft. I mean, just excellent.

Address wide receiver. Address tight end. More offensive line. I mean, that's three starters that I think that you're adding, right? Mingo may take a season, but he'll be a contributor right away. But I think Washington and Skowronski come in right away as starters. And the Titans can play the type of football they want. Finally having an upgraded starting level version of Jeff Swain.

Having an offensive line with Andre Dillard, Peter Skowronski, Aaron Brewer, Daniel Brunskill, Nicholas Petit-Ferrer with Dylan Radins hopefully coming back at some point during the season. Jamarco Jones maybe being healthy and competing for a spot. I mean, now you have a much more improved offensive line with a lot better depth. So, shout out to Chad Ruderman

because this is a great mock draft and I can only hope that this is what the Titans haul looks like through three rounds in the draft wow incredible but that's going to do it for me today folks I'll be back with you guys tomorrow as always I am your host Tyler Rowland

and this was Locked on Titan.