Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans TRADE DOWN Mock Draft & Jeffery Simmons Contract Details Explained

Episode Date: April 9, 2023

The Tennessee Titans need to trade down at some point in the 2023 NFL draft so they can gain some extra picks and the right time to do it is in the second round! Tyler does a seven-round mock draft to see exactly what that would look like. Also, with Jeffery Simmons getting a huge contract extension, it is time to go over the small details and see exactly how the deal impacts the Titans!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!BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp connects you with a licensed therapist who can take you on that journey of self-discovery from wherever you are. Visit BetterHelp.com/lockedon today to get 10% off your first month.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

This is what a Titans draft class would look like with a trade down in the second round. I'm going to go over a brand new seven round mock draft 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, 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, we're going over a brand new seven-round mock draft with a trade down in the second round. Also going to discuss Jeffrey Simmons' contract details. Before we get into all of that, do want to let you know that today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp connects you with a licensed therapist who can take you on that journey of self-discovery from wherever you are. Visit betterhelp.com slash locked on to get 10% off your first month today. Also, thank you 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 and always for free. You're not going to beat that anywhere else. So get subscribed. Stay subscribed to the Locked on Titans podcast. Throw a thumbs up on the video if you're watching on YouTube right now. Helps the channel quite a bit. The show is always free. All I ask for in return is the press of a button. But with that being said, we are going to talk about a seven round mock draft today where I do a trade down in the second round. Something

that we talked about last week that I think makes a lot more sense for the Titans than trading down in the first round. I'm going to put that into practice. But first, do want to quickly go over the contract details from Jeffrey Simmons' four-year extension with the Titans. I put out a show on Friday night going over just our initial reaction, my initial feelings to the Jeffrey Simmons extension. I mean, fantastic news. Great job by Rand Carthon. And as we get into the details of the contract,

it looks even better. So my estimation for Simmons' contract was four years, $105 million with about $70 million guaranteed. It was a little bit less than that in terms of total salary. It ended up being a four-year contract worth $94 million. I believe it works out to about $23.5 million per season. But he did get $66 million guaranteed. So very close to that $70 million mark.

Just for some context, Deron Payne for the Washington Commanders signed a brand new extension earlier this year, and he got about $22.5 million, $22 million per season. So Jeffrey Simmons was able to eclipse Deron Payne, and other than Aaron Donald, I mean, Jeffrey Simmons is the second highest paid

interior defensive lineman in the league. You look at the guaranteed dollars, $66 million guarantee is only $1 million less than the guarantees that Aaron O'Donnell got in his most recent contract. So other than maybe the greatest interior defensive lineman ever, or at least one of the best defensive players of all time, Jeffrey Simmons is right there where he deserves to be. And the thing is, the timing of the deal is so important. You're going to see Quinnen Williams. You're going to see Dexter Lawrence. You're going to see Christian Wilkins. You're going to see other guys get paid

at a similar spot as Jeffrey Simmons later into the summer. And the longer that the Titans would have went without getting that contract done, the more money they would have ultimately had to pay to Jeffrey Simmons. So not only is it the emotion and the relief of stress that we get, but because the Titans were able to get the deal done now, they also probably saved themselves a little bit of money, which is huge. So just a great job by Rand Carthon. Excellent first big step as Titans general manager. But as for this seven round mock draft.

My first pick. Pick number 11. I'm not trading down from number 11. I want to make sure I get one of the actual first round talents in this draft. And you can do that at 11. And boy did I have options at pick 11. So of course Paris Johnson Jr. was available. Peter Skowronski was available.

And Jackson Smith and Jigba was available. So, to me, that's the big three for the Titans, other than quarterback or if they go, you know, to the defensive side of the ball because they love one of the talents there. Sure. But for me, those are the top three realistic fits for the Titans at pick 11. And we've talked about all these players a ton. Of course, Paris Johnson Jr. Ideal size for a left tackle. I keep saying he's got offensive tackle strength with skill position

feet. Obviously, you guys know I'm high on Paris Johnson Jr. You have Peter Skowronski, the savvy, experienced, really safe pick. Yes, maybe a little small to play offensive tackle in terms of his height. His arm length is the big factor there. But even if you don't play him at offensive tackle, you're probably going to get a pro bowl level, all pro level guard out of Peter Skowronski, which would be good for the Titans as well. And, of course, Jackson Smith and Jigba, elite route runner, good hands, smooth, understands where to be on the field in relation to what the defense is presenting,

a smart player with incredible talent and good production in that year before his last year at Ohio State, which was injury riddled and didn't play a ton. So those, to me, are the three best options. And I've explained it over and over again, so I'm not going to beat you guys over the head with my reasoning here. But I went with Paris Johnson Jr. I'm O-line over wide receiver at this point. I think you can get more value at wide receiver later in the draft.

And that is exactly what we're going to do. Not just receiver, but pass catching options. So what I want to do is now, again, I've talked about Paris Johnson Jr. You guys know that that is my preferred pick at number 11. That's where I went in this draft. But really where the entry comes in with this draft is what we do in the second round with the trade down to collect some extra pick capital. We're going to get into the decision that I made in the second round in just a moment, but wanted to go over the contract details for Jeffrey Simmons, which are great for the Tennessee Titans. Go over that first round selection. Now we're going to

move into the trade down. Before we get into it though, do want to let you know that today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Look, guys, life is not easy. There's no way around it. Life is not easy. And honestly, getting to know yourself, getting to know who you are inside, what you need, all that while you're constantly growing and changing, it can be hard. It was hard for me.

I didn't really kind of figure things out until my late twenties, early thirties. So we all move at different speeds and everything like that. But one thing I can tell you is along my journey, one thing that really helped me was getting a better sense of self-awareness, getting a better understanding of who I am. And one of the ways I did that was talking to a licensed therapist at betterhelp.com. Look, you don't have to do it alone. And I know especially with men, there are some stigmas about therapy and everything like that. You got to let that all go and try to be the best version of yourself.

And I think the best version of yourself can be found with betterhelp.com. So if you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online. It's designed to be convenient. It's flexible. It's suited to your schedule. And one of the things I liked the most was the questionnaire that they give you before you get started, because they ask some really good questions to help pair you with the best therapist for you. And you can switch therapists at any time with no additional charge if you feel like you need a change up. So it's really convenient, really easy to use. Discover your potential with BetterHelp.

That's BetterHelp.com slash locked on. Visit there and you're going to get 10% off your first month. Once again, that's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P.com slash Locked On. Titans fans, let's continue today's Mock Draft Monday edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. I always shudder when I say the day because the YouTube crowd gets it early. And boy, do they like to let me know that it's not Monday yet. Okay, it's not Monday yet on YouTube.

I get it. I get it. I get it. Whatever. Moving right along though. We took Paris Johnson Jr. first. I didn't elaborate a ton because I have talked so much about Paris Johnson Jr. and why he's a perfect fit for the Titans. Did go over the Jeffrey Simmons contract details for you guys, though. But here is where the intrigue comes in in today's mock draft. I made an impassionate plea to you guys last week

that the Titans don't need to trade down in round one, but they do need to trade down in round two. And we went over three different draft trades from last year where teams moved down in the second round. Some went down five picks. Some went down 20 picks. Things like that. Think about what would be best for the Titans.

Well, I did a couple of mock drafts in preparation for today's show. And what I found was the best was actually counter to what I thought would be the best when I was looking at the draft trades. And to me, it's the Titans sliding back about five or six spots, picking up an extra top 100 pick, and going from there. So in this mock draft,

pick number 41. I took a look at a trade that happened last year. And the trade was between the Browns, or not the Browns, it was between the Giants. And I forget who they traded back with, but what the Giants did was they traded pick 38 for pick 43 and then like 110. Okay.

So for me, what I did was I use that trade as a model because we can talk about these trade charts and the values on them. But I think the best guide to a realistic trade is trades that just happened last year in real life. to a realistic trade is trades that just happened last year in real life. So for me, I was looking at, okay, the Giants dropped back five spots. I got an offer from the Washington Commanders who sit at pick number 47. So the Titans dropped back from pick number 41 to pick number 47.

They also received pick number 47. They also received pick number 97, and then I gave up a 2025 sixth round pick, okay, to make it all work. It ended up being about 40 points different on the Jimmy Johnson. It was about 30 points different, I think, on the Rich Hill trade chart. So if you're somebody who likes the trade charts, it's close enough to satisfy me. It's close to what we got in real life as well from last year. So I like that. So I went from pick 41 to pick 47 and essentially picked up pick 97 in the process. So pick up an extra top 100 pick to move back six spots. To me, that makes a ton of sense for the Titans

because they go from pick 72 all the way to pick 147 without having a pick. That's a long time and there's a lot of good players in there. So, with pick 47, I did get a little bit lucky. Alright, there were

a lot of really good players on the board that I know a lot of you guys are going there were a lot of really good players on the board that I know a lot of you guys are going to say, that player won't be on the board. That player won't be. We don't know. Every year there are players on the board later than I expected them to be there. Every year it happens.

So I had my choice at pick 47 after trading down of Darnell Washington, John Michael Schmitz, or Jalen Hyatt. And I know, I already know, that a lot of you guys are going to be saying, Jalen Hyatt, Jalen Hyatt. If you had the choice between Hyatt, Washington, and John Michael Schmitz, who would you take?

Let me know down in the comment section below. Let me know who you would like out of those three. But to me, I got Parrish Johnson Jr., so there's an offensive lineman. I know the Titans need offensive line help, but I simply can't have the first two picks both be on the offensive line

after we saw what we saw in free agency. Okay? I like John Michael Schmitz, but for me, with Parrish Johnson Jr. already taken, I like Jalen Hyatt. But again, I continue to say I like the receiver options later than this. I like the receiver options in round three. Or if the Titans were to move back even further into the 60s.

I like the receiver options there. What I don't like is that through all the mock drafts that I've done, if I don't take a tight end here, the best tight end I can get my hands on is Tucker Kraft. And for me, I like Darnell Washington, I like Sam Laporta, I like Tucker Kraft, and I like Josh Weil from Cincinnati as a late round option.

The best value that I found is taking Darnell Washington right here. And some people think that he won't be there at 47 anyways. If he were and the Titans were able to trade back six picks, pick up an extra top 100 pick and still get Darnell

Washington, how could get Darnell Washington? How could I pass on that? I know this is a common pick for me in the second round. I get it, but how could you pass on that? I know with Jalen Hyatt, there's going to be a lot of people who like that, but for me, I flashed a pick number 72. And that's where I get my wide receiver. There was Marvin Mims

who's rising quickly. There's Tank Dell. There was Tyler Scott from Cincinnati who the Titans have had a lot of interest in. But for me, I got to continue going with my boy and there are two wide receivers that I really like in this range.

Rasheed Rice from SMU and Jonathan Mingo from Ole Miss. And Mingo, early in the process, was thought to maybe be a fourth, fifth round pick. Mingo is going higher by the day because people realize that athletic ability, that work ethic, that size at 6'2 nearly 220 I mean he may not have quite the burst that A.J. Brown had but remember guys

A.J. Brown didn't go until pick 51 Mingo for me at 72 is a slam dunk 6'2 220 physical hard, good athleticism. I mean, he may not be running away from cornerbacks all the time, but with the physicality, and again, I come back to the work ethic.

This is a guy who works incredibly hard at his craft, and I think that's going to go a long way. You add that work ethic with that size-speed combination. Oh, man. Give it to me. Give it to me. So, starting off with Paris Johnson Jr., Darnell Washington, and Jonathan Mingo,

and picking up an extra pick in the top 100, how could you pass that up? How could you pass that up? How could you pass that up? You can't. You simply can't. There is no better outcome. There isn't. You can't find a better first three rounds for me than that. You can't. So, moving right along though,

we got to talk about the last four picks. And look, I hit the offensive line again. I got some really strong players on the defensive side of the ball positions. I think the Titans still need depth and, and as I'm going to continue to do, we address special teams. So before we get into the rest of today's seven round mock draft. Do want to let you know that today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Look, the NBA playoffs are here, folks. The MLB season is here, folks. It is the perfect time to check out America's number one sportsbook, FanDuel. And right now, new customers can step up to the plate and get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000. Just go to fanduel.com slash locked on, sign up, place your first bet,

and you're going to get up to $1,000 back in bonus bets even if you don't win your first bet. So you're going to bet on how many home runs Aaron Judge is going to hit. You're going to bet on how many strikeouts a certain pitcher throws. Heck, you can go on and bet how many times my Cincinnati Redlegs are going to lose. You can put all that together for a single game parlay for your favorite matchup of the day. Don't miss your chance to get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000 when you join

FanDuel. Just go to FanDuel.com locked on to sign up. That's FanDuel, the official partner of the Major League Baseball. Titans fans, let's cap off today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast of the Major League Baseball. What did I even just say there?

Who knows? Chalk it up. What can you do? But anyways, we've gone through this seven-round mock draft. I know there are some familiar names here, but they're just names that are such good fits with the Titans. It's impossible for me to pass up. I can't pass up on good players who are great fits with the Titans just for conversation's sake. You know what I mean?

These are excellent players that would fit the system. So to this point, we got Paris Johnson Jr. at pick 11. We traded down from 41 to 47 and picked up pick 97. We took Jonathan Mingo at pick 72 with Darnell Washington at 47. So Paris Johnson Jr., Darnell Washington, Jonathan Mingo. We have four picks to go. We picked up pick 97. So before we get into 97, do want to thank you guys

again for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. Now for your second listen, check out Locked on NFL Scouting with the Draft Dudes. From free agency to the draft to salary cap management and much 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 podcasts and it's on YouTube. It's part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. So the Titans would have a huge break here if they didn't trade down. They would go from pick 72 all the way to pick 147 with no picks. I mean, that's 75 selections with no picks. That's going to be tough for the Titans to do.

I think that one way or another, they find a way to get a pick in between that gap. Now for me, the way that I executed it is, I traded 41 for 47 and 97. I threw in a future sixth round pick. So with that, you get pick 96. And look, what we have to

acknowledge here is the Titans flirted with a pay cut for Kevin Byard. So they're trying to figure that out. Amani Hooker got his contract and immediately missed half the games. It's never great. The Titans

can get out of Amani Hooker's contract after this year. Now, I don't think that that should be the move, but the Titans are going to make some draft picks looking ahead to next year, especially in the late rounds when you're going to get a guy who maybe isn't ready to play day one. But this player that I got at number 96 is ready to play day one.

And I think losing Dane Cruikshank, having all the injuries at safety, Andrew Adams is not going to be back with the patellar tendon. Josh Kalou isn't a certified guy who can play on defense all the time. Yeah, I like Elijah Molden. I think he could play some safety. But Molden missed a lot of last year with injury. With pick 96, I finally went to the defensive side of the ball.

I took Jamie Robinson, the safety out of Florida State. Split safety. He's played a ton of snaps in the box as like a linebacker. He's played in the slot. He's played split safety looks. He's played deep safety looks. The guy can do it all. Now, I wouldn't have him as a deep safety consistently. I like him around the box. I like him playing in the slot on early

downs. Being a guy who can blitz, being a guy who can play with, he is such a strong tackler. who can blitz, being a guy who can play, he is such a strong tackler. Sideline to sideline, versatility. He is a football player. He may not have elite athleticism to play deep range safety all the time. Maybe not, but he's played back there enough. To me, Jamie Robinson as a versatile safety could come in, play special teams right away, be the Titans' third safety, be a guy who could play in the box and dime situations.

He's got length issues. He's not the longest guy with long arms. I think he'd probably struggle to take on tight ends one-on-one and man coverage consistently. But that's not all that you're asked to do when you play that third dime safety. So I think you could have Imani Hooker take on the tight end, have Jamie Robinson be down as the other slot or be down in the box, and have Bayard play in deep safety. I mean, you could move it around in a bunch of different ways. I think he's got that kind of versatility,

and it's a security blanket for the Titans if McCreary can't play early down slot, if Elijah Moulton continues to be hurt, Jamie Robinson could play that early down slot position for the Titans and then kick in and be a sub package linebacker and dime. I love it. I love the pick there. That's such great value. My opinion for Jamie Robinson, who is a football player. great value, in my opinion, for Jamie Robinson, who is a football player. Now, we move to pick 147. Big gap here, but not as big of a gap as it could have been. And with 147, I took Juice Scruggs, the interior offensive lineman out of Penn State. Little undersized, but really good athlete. Tough guy. Played in the Big Ten. I think he could come in and compete with Brewer, compete with Levin for that interior

offensive line spot at center, and then maybe by next year, he is the guy starting at center for the Titans. At pick 186, again, another depth option on defense, and I love this pick, and it's a player who had a visit with the Titans.

So the Titans are clearly interested in this player. And it's Muhammad Diabedi. I heard his name pronounced four different ways doing my research. So I'm going with Diabedi for the moment, okay? Correct me if I'm wrong. Linebacker out of Utah.

And what I love about Diabedi is the versatility. He played at Florida as well before his time at Utah. He's played edge. He's played stand-up linebacker. He blitzes up the middle. He does a great job of swimming through offensive linemen to dart into the backfield. I've seen him beat offensive tackles with first-step quickness

as an edge rusher. Look, I think about Harold Landry at his full capacity. And Harold Landry is a guy who uses speed to win on the edge, but has the versatility and the athleticism to drop back into coverage. And that allows the Titans to do their zone blitzes, where they blitz a slot or a slot corner off one side and drop the edge rusher into coverage on the other side. Whether you like that as a philosophy or not, because it will result in Bud Dupree and Harold Landry and coverage and stuff like that over the last few years.

That's what the Titans like to do with their sim pressures, simulated pressures. Hey, we're coming here. Flip, nope. Corner's coming here off the slot. We're dropping an edge rusher, so we're still only bringing four people, but it looks like a blitz with five simulated pressures.

Diabate, I think I pronounced his name two different ways, the two different ways I heard it the most, but he is not the biggest guy. Six foot three, I believe, but not tiny. He's raw. He still needs a ton of work. But, man, he's got so much burst, so much athleticism. If the Titans can bulk him up a little bit, he has the ability to be a drop-back linebacker,

an off-ball linebacker in a 4-3 alignment. He can be an edge rusher in a 3-4. He can be an edge rusher in sub-packages. He can blitz up the middle, which the Titans want linebackers to do. I mean, he has a chance to develop as an all-ball guy, as an edge, or both. Just a versatile chess piece for the Titans to develop and use within their defense so they can have that front multiplicity

that Mike Grable talks about all the time. I love that as a late-round option with incredible ability in coverage, too. The nuances of the game, he's got to work on it. Understanding coverages, understanding route concepts, but he's got the athletic ability to be good in man coverage and drop and zone coverage, rush the passer, blitz, all that. A developmental project, but a great pick at 186 in my opinion.

And then finally, 228. Guys, if you've listened to the show, who am I picking at 228 every time? Jake Moody, the kicker out of Michigan. Let him come in. Let him compete with Caleb. See what we got. I like that as a route that the Titans should take. And here's the thing. They can wait and see if he goes undrafted, but you're taking a risk. I think you want to get him in. Let Moody compete. And I think he's your starting kicker on day one. I truly believe that.

So, that's the mock draft. Harris Johnson Jr., a trade down in the second round. You pick up Darnell Washington, Jonathan Mingo, Jamie Robinson, Juice Scruggs, Muhammad Daivadi, and Jake Moody.

I would love that as a draft class for the Titans. You hit offensive tackle with depth on the interior offensive line late. You get depth at two positions on defense and safety and linebacker that need depth. You get two great pass-catching options, Darnell Washington and Jonathan Mingo,

and you leave with your kicker of the future in Jake Mooney. I feel satisfied. That was a fun Mock Draft Monday, but that is going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this is Locked on Titans.