Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans Post-Free Agency Mock Draft: Long-Term Left Tackle, Versatile Tight End and WR Playmaker

Episode Date: April 2, 2023

The Tennessee Titans have made it through the first few weeks of free agency and any signings that happen going forward are not likely to fundamentally change the team. Using the needs the Titans have now, Tyler goes through a seven round mock draft to see what the best class he can draft is. First, the most common selection for the Titans in the NFL Draft's first round is offensive line and Tyler doesn't deviate. Next, two excellent playmakers are added on day two. Finally, on day three the Titans are able to add some key pieces of depth, but the last pick of the draft may actually be a starter from day one!!Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videosSupport 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 nearly perfect seven-round mock draft post-free agency for the Tennessee Titans. I'm going to break down the selections 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, a seven-round mock draft for you guys today on Mock Draft Monday. So excited to get into all of my selections. I feel like it is a very, very good draft class if the Titans are able to pull it off before we get into it. Do want to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round on all platforms, always for free. Make sure that you get subscribed and stay subscribed to the Locked on Titans podcast.

You can find it on all podcast platforms, Locked on Titans YouTube channel. Wherever you listen to your favorite content, you will find the Locked on Titans podcast there. And of course, for free. It's part of the Locked on Podcast Network, where it's your team every day. Throw a thumbs up on the video right now. I don't ask for anything for the show in return except for the press of a button. Thank you all so much.

But getting into this seven-round mock draft that I did myself for transparency purposes, did it on the Pro Football Focus Mock Draft Simulator. No trades because I think the trade system on there is just out of whack in general. But pick number one for the Titans that comes at pick number 11 in the draft. I had a ton of options.

Offensive line. Peter Skowronski, Paris Johnson Jr., wide receiver, Quentin Johnston, Jordan Addison, Zay Flowers, Jalen Hyatt on defense. Could have gone Christian Gonzalez, Joey Porter Jr., Nolan Smith.

For me, the pick came down to three people. The offensive lineman, Peter Skowronski, Paris Johnson Jr., and then Christian Gonzalez, the cornerback out of Oregon, just because I think he is absolutely freakish. But at the end of the day, I'm going to continue to be consistent and pick Paris Johnson Jr. from Ohio State. I just can't. To me, it's all about premium positions. And if you can get the top left tackle

in the entire draft at pick number 11, you gotta take them. You just absolutely have to with the Titans' need for long-term offensive line answers with the talent that Paris Johnson Jr. has.

I mean, it's just impossible to pass. I mean, when you have all the options that the Titans had available to them, I thought it was crazy that we saw Jackson Smith and Jigba go number 10 to the Eagles in this mock draft. Now, you never know what's going to happen. You could say, oh, the Eagles wouldn't do that. Well, they could keep putting a strength on a strength. Imagine JSN

with AJ and Devontae Smith flanking them. I mean, I could see that. So, I was a little surprised when I saw that. I was surprised that Paris Johnson Jr. made it. We saw Will Levis go to the Raiders. We saw edge rushers go a lot in front of the Titans, which absolutely could happen.

But again, it just makes too much sense. And I'll continue saying it. I've been saying it for a few weeks now. The Titans free agent signing should not impact their draft plan. You don't tell yourself you're not taking Paris Johnson Jr. because you signed Andre Dillard. That's not what you do. So to me, this is an easy selection at the end of the day, considering all, and, I mean, Mike Vrabel was there watching the Ohio State Pro Day

and watching Paris Johnson Jr. And the way that he moved, and you knew, you knew coming in that Paris Johnson Jr. had fantastic feet. Six foot six, great get off the line of scrimmage, incredible recovery skills. Because he's got such fast feet, if he gets knocked off balance, he can quickly recover his feet, get his center of gravity back, and then continue to hold his block.

I mean, that's his best trait. So I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that you saw the way that his feet were moving at that pro day. But man, a man that size with that kind of feet. That's a funny thing to say, but I mean, it truly is something special to watch. So again, for the top wide receivers available,

some really good guys on defense, including Christian Gonzalez, Skowronski or Paris Johnson Jr. You have your pick. I like both those guys, but for me, it comes down to Paris Johnson Jr. And since we started talking about the Titans pick at number 11, until the day comes where he is not on the board, I want Paris Johnson Jr. for the Tennessee Titans.

So that's how I start out my seven-round mock draft. We're going to go to the midday picks. Pick number 41, pick number 72. Got some great options, some tough choices in there as well. So let me know how you feel about my selection of Paris Johnson Jr. down below. Going to kind of keep track with you guys of how you're feeling about the picks as we get through the seven-round mock draft. But before we get into the next set of picks,

I do want to let you know that today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. So the NBA season is going into the playoffs, and there is no more fun than you can have than betting on NBA action on FanDuel. FanDuel is America's number one sports book. Right now, FanDuel is giving new customers a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000. That's $1,000 back

in bonus bets, even if your first bet doesn't win. Go to FanDuel.com locked on and sign up today to claim your no-sweat first bet. Then you can w locked on and sign up today to claim your no sweat first bet. Then you can wager on everything from money lines to point spreads to my favorite thing, which is a single game parlay on an NBA game. LeBron, Anthony Davis to score over 20.

D'Angelo Russell to get over five assists. Chris Paul to get over eight assists. Kevin Durant to get over 20 points. Anthony Davis to hit one three-pointer and have one block. I'm going to bet $10 to win freaking $1,500 or something like that. I mean, I call it the equivalent of a scratch-off lottery ticket, and it's a lot more fun to do that on an NBA game and see if all the bets you put together can hit on a single-game parlay.

It's absolutely a blast. The app is safe. It's secure. It's super easy to use. Don't miss your chance to get a no sweat first bet up to $1,000 when you join FanDuel today. Just go to FanDuel.com slash locked on to sign up. Make every moment more with FanDuel. handle. Titans fans, we are going to continue today. Seven round mock draft post free agency. I just went over my first pick and all the options that I had. I ended up with Paris Johnson Jr., which

unless CJ Stroud is available at number 11, I'm picking Paris Johnson Jr. every time that I possibly can unless he's not there. It's just the way that it goes. Okay? But going into round number two and round number three, the Titans have a ton of needs that they still need to fill. And I have two needs in front of me at pick number 41. So I'm going to tell you guys all the options that I have. I want you to tell me who you would have selected with those options.

And then I'll tell you who I did select because it was tough. I wrote down a name. I crossed out a name. I wrote down a name. I crossed it out, went back to the first one. Back and forth. But I could have gone with interior offensive lineman John Michael Schmitz or Luke Weiple. I could have gone with receiving options in the passing game like Darnell Washington, Sam

Laporta, Tucker Craft, Luke Musgrave, Jalen Hyatt, A.T. Perry, Rasheed Rice. I could have gone with a ton of options. Interior O-line, tight end, wide receiver. But ultimately, my decision came down to either John Michael Schmitz or Darnell Washington. And I went with Darnell Washington. I went with the tight end out of Georgia, 6'7", physical,

because I know that wide receiver is important. I get it. I do. I do. But I think that you can get a wide receiver in round three. They can give you something. But you can't get what Darnell Washington gives you in round three at tight end. You can't. And as I continue to say and will say,

tight end, if you get a really, really good every down, in line, pure tight end, like Darnell Washington, to pair with Chikokonkwo, with how much the Titans played two tight end like Darnell Washington to pair with Chigaconqua with how much the Titans played two tight end sets? I talked last week in the Chad Ruder Mock Draft Monday about what a versatile tight end

like Darnell Washington could mean for the Titans offense with the formations and the personnel groups that they could change and be creative with. With Chig's skill set, Darnell Washington just fits perfectly. And I think a guy like that could be just as important, if not more important, than a wide receiver. So, to me, I went with Darnell Washington. I thought about John Michael Schmitz.

If you get John Michael Schmitz and Paris Johnson Jr., and you plug in JMS at center and Paris Johnson Jr. at left tackle, you have the two most important positions on the offensive line taken care of for maybe a decade. And that is appealing. But having that tight end pairing and Darnell Washington can block. So when you talk about blocking, pass blocking, run blocking, and the Titans need to be better at blocking,

Darnell Washington helps that too. So the Titans need better pass catchers, and they need better blocking, and you can get both, a little bit of both, with Darnell Washington. So despite all of the great, honestly, I was considering a trade down right here. I'm like, man, if I could trade down 9 to 10 spots,

pick up another top 100 pick, maybe in the late 90s, the Titans have a big gap between 72 and 147. So if you were able to trade back from 41, I don't want to trade back at pick 11. I've talked about that. But if you were able to trade back from 41, I don't want to trade back at pick 11. I've talked about that. But if you were able to trade back from 41 to 50, 52, collect yourself somewhere

between 90 and 115, another pick in there, that could make a ton of sense. And if the board fell this way, I'd be inclined to do that. I would. So moving right along though, outside of that pick at number 41, Darnell Washington, let me know how you feel. We get to pick number 72 and there were less options, but there was one option out there I didn't pick, but I really really thought about it. Andre Carter. The outside linebacker, edge rusher,

do-it-all guy out of Army. Six foot seven. He's a little thin. He's a little lean. But that frame, that athleticism, that work ethic. Andre Carter could be a do-it-all linebacker that I think could play in the middle.

He could rush off the edge. I mean, in the Titans' multiplicity-focused defense, that's a mouthful, where they play 4-3, they play 3-4, they play nickel a ton, they play dime packages. The Titans do all kinds of stuff formationally on defense week to week. Carter has the ability to put his hand in the dirt, be on the edge, stand up as a linebacker. He can play

as either spot on the edge in a four or three. Maybe bulk up a little bit and end up being a five technique. I mean, I don't think that's likely, but you never know. I really did wrestle with that one. Tight end, Tucker Craft. If I didn't go with Darnell Washington, that would have been something I had to consider. At wide receiver, you had Michael Wilson from Stanford,

Cedric Tillman from Tennessee, but you also had Rasheed Rice from SMU. With all of that, you guys know, Rasheed Rice is my guy. So I went with Rasheed Rice. Incredible testing numbers at the combine. His broad jump, his vertical over 40 inches, you saw explosiveness from Rasheed Rice that you were, you know, wanting to see on tape,

wanting to see if it matched, and you saw it. I mean, I think that Rasheed Rice would fit perfectly with Traylon Burks. He can get underneath, win with Savvy, set people up with his routes. I love everything that Rasheed Rice brings to the table. I truly do. I think that if you left with

Parrish Johnson Jr., Darnell Washington, and Rasheed Rice, I don't know how the Titans could do better. I really don't. Without mortgaging their future and trading up a bunch or making some kind of crazy move where they trade somebody out like Henry or Tannehill to add another really high pick, there's no way they could do better than this just by sitting and picking.

It's perfect. It's literally perfect. But we're not done. We're not done. We've got three more picks for the Titans. Much later picks. But the ability to address some need positions and add some value. And I'm pretty excited with the back of the draft hall as well.

But before we move forward, I do want to let you know that today's episode is brought to you by the Ultimate Pro Football GM app. We're talking about the draft. If you want to run your own NFL franchise as a general manager, you have to download the Ultimate Pro Football GM app. We're talking about the draft. If you want to run your own NFL franchise as a general manager, you have to download the ultimate pro football GM app. You can go to ultimate-gm.com

or just go to your app store. Type in the name ultimate pro football GM. Search. Add it to your phone. You can play on Wi-Fi. You can play offline. You can play out and about all year long. Look, football season, the draft is right around the corner,

but football season's not here right now. A perfect way to pass the time is to get on the Ultimate Pro Football GM app. Draft players, sign players, cut players, fire and hire coaches and coordinators. Set your scheme. Set your lineups. Go through the season in a simulation

format. See how your team does I mean, it's perfect and right now my listeners can get a 100% free boost when they use the promo code LOCKEDON in the game store, there's a store inside the game, you use the promo code LOCKEDON there, you're going to get a

100% free boost, so make sure that you go to ultimate-gm.com or just look it up in the App Store. Use that promo code LOCKEDON for a 100% free boost. Ultimate Pro Football GM, start your dynasty today. Titans fans, we are going to cap off this mock draft Monday edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We did pick 11, pick 41, pick 72, the Titans' first three picks in the draft.

Now we're going to get to their final three picks in the draft as well as a recap. We got Paris Johnson Jr. with pick 11. We got Darnell Washington with pick number 41. We got Rasheed Rice with pick number 72. I could not possibly be more pleased with the outcome of the first three rounds of this mock draft. I mean, it is incredible.

It is incredible. But got to keep that momentum rolling into the first three rounds of this mock draft. I mean, it is incredible. It is incredible. But got to keep that momentum rolling into the final three picks of the draft. Before we get into that, though, 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 Locked on NFL Scouting with the draft dudes from free agency to the draft, salary cap management, and more. Join NFL experts Kyle Krabs and Joe Marino as they take you through what it's like to build a successful NFL franchise every Monday through Friday. Find Locked On NFL Scouting with the draft dudes wherever you get your podcast, and it's on YouTube.

It's part of the Locked On Podcast Network, where it's your team every day. It's part of the Locked On Podcast Network, where it's your team every day. But moving right along here, pick number 147 for the Titans. I had to go back to the offensive line. I had to. With Juice Scruggs from Penn State. Juice is a guy that I've been interested in. He's got more size than Aaron Brewer, but he's still got a ton of athleticism.

He's going to be a day three option for the Titans. I think he could fit perfectly in the Titans zone scheme, getting up to the second level to get on linebackers, executing combination blocks. I think that maybe you bring Aaron Brewer back. You bring Corey Levin back. you bring Corey Levin back, and then you bring in a guy later in the draft, rather than going earlier,

like I declined to take John Michael Schmitz early. This is a perfect, it worked out perfectly for me, because you add in Juice Scrubs, and while maybe he's not expected to be the starter, I think he could come in absolutely and push Aaron Brewer or Corey Levin. It would make a ton of sense to create the competition there for that. So, I think Drew Scruggs makes a ton of sense for the Titans

in pick number 147. Pick number 186. Couldn't neglect defense forever. And we know that late in the draft, it makes a ton of sense to add guys at safety, linebacker, cornerback, wide receiver, who can be special teams options. If you get picked this late in the draft,

you better be ready to play special teams. Okay? And I think a guy like Ventrell Miller out of Florida could make a ton of sense we know that the Titans spoke with Ventrell Miller from a report last week or two weeks ago they spoke with him he is not the biggest linebacker like six foot one six foot two he is not the most athletic linebacker dealt with some injury issues as well. But, he's physical. He's instinctive. He's smart. He's a hard worker. I think that Ventrell Miller would come in

be able to push Bonnie Rice for a starting linebacker spot and would be able to add some value on special teams. I think it would be bad news for a guy like Jack Gibbons or a guy like Chance Campbell because Ventro Miller would be pushing for their

roster spot. But this late in the draft with the uncertainty at linebacker, I think Ventro Miller would make a ton of sense. The final pick, 228. And as I continue to tell you guys, I will do

with the Titans, seventh round pick in the draft, going with Jake Moody, the kicker from Michigan, who John Harbaugh called, Jim Harbaugh, John is, you know, Jim Harbaugh called the greatest place kicker of all time in Michigan history. The guy was an award winner, fantastic, accurate for multiple years. Right now the Titans only have Caleb Shudick at kicker, or Shudack, Shudick, whatever.

They cut Randy Bullock. They're not going to go get an expensive veteran to replace him. What they're going to do is they're going to get a young guy to come and compete. And I think that going with Jake Moody from Michigan could be a situation for the Titans where they get one of the better kickers in the league in a couple

of years. And imagine if you had Moody and you had Stonehouse for the next eight years. I mean, it would be ideal. It would be perfect for the next eight years. I mean, it would be ideal. It would be perfect for the Titans. So with that in mind, that is my seven-round mock draft.

Paris Johnson Jr., Darnell Washington, Rasheed Rice, Juice Scruggs, Ventro Miller, Jake Moody. We ride on that. But that's going to do it for me today, folks. Funnily enough, right now when you're hearing this, I'm actually somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

A drink in my hand. Shout out to Future Me. That's going to do it for me, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.