Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tyler Rowland's 2023 NFL Mock Draft Special: Titans Select Quarterback, Three Trades & 5 QBs Selected

Starting point is 00:00:00 Ladies and gentlemen, it is draft day. So it's time for my yearly first round mock draft. I'm going to go pick by pick through the first round and see just how many of these selections I can get right. It's a special edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Let's get it. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast. Let's get it! Welcome to a special edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. So if you guys are new to the show, every year I put out my first round mock draft on draft day. Try to make sure that I do as best as possible and then try to keep track of my results.

Starting point is 00:01:07 I've been doing this since before I even started doing the podcast. So it's something that I really enjoy to do. Let me know down below what you think of my picks. This is a bonus episode for all you guys in your podcast feed and on the YouTube channel. So I hope you do enjoy. Throw a thumbs up on the video if you are watching on YouTube right now. Thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. Want to remind you guys, I'm going to have instant reaction videos up on social media,

Starting point is 00:01:34 on the YouTube channel, on the podcast feed. After the Titans make their picks throughout draft weekend, I'm going to do a full draft recap on Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night, and then a big time full draft recap on Sunday night as well. It's going to be on YouTube, in your podcast feeds, all of that. So wanted to keep you abreast of all that, but let's dive into this year's mock draft. It is a little bit of a books on tape. I'm going to read you the mock draft that I have written out. It's going to be available on alltitans.com as well. I am a staff writer over there for Sports Illustrated.

Starting point is 00:02:08 But without further ado, let's dive in to the mock draft. So another year, another mock draft. And no matter how many of these I do, I still get excited for each one. Every year is a bit different, but one thing always remains the same. Expect the unexpected. No matter how much research or scouting you do, you can never know exactly what might happen. But hey, that won't stop me from trying to guess. And as always, I'll be grading my mock draft based on the huddle report system. It awards two points for an exact player to team match. And one point for getting a player in the first round.

Starting point is 00:02:45 This means that the max points that you can score per pick is three. And if you get every pick exactly right, you'd get a score of 93 this year. And I say all of that to say this. Here comes a 93. Number one, Carolina Panthers select Bryce Young, quarterback, Alabama. There's some buzz that this pick could be Will Levis. It would feel similar to like the Sam Darnold switcheroo in 2018 when the Browns went with Baker Mayfield by surprise with that first pick.

Starting point is 00:03:20 But nope, I'm not buying it. Young may be the smallest starting quarterback in the NFL from day one, but he has playmaking skills and intangibles that will make the Panthers trust him to be the pick. Number two, Houston Texans, Tyree Wilson, the edge out of Texas Tech. It's our first real surprise here. The Texans should be taking a quarterback, but all the buzz indicates they prefer a defensive player if they can't draft Young. I can't think of a valid reason to smokescreen that feeling, so I'm just going to believe it. Wilson is the prototypical edge size,

Starting point is 00:03:51 and with some refinement, could get the most out of his tools in D'Amico Ryan's defense. Number three, Arizona Cardinals select Will Anderson, edge out of Alabama. The Cardinals would love to move out of this pick in this scenario to let someone come up for a quarterback. While someone could make the leap, I think Arizona ultimately doesn't get a good enough deal to pass on Anderson, who would instantly become their best pass rusher. Go look at the Cardinals' rushers right now. It is bleak. Number four, Indianapolis Colts, Anthony Richardson, quarterback, Florida. Again, I do not buy the Will Levis hype. Richardson and Levis are both projects that have mechanical

Starting point is 00:04:32 issues to work on, but Richardson comes with all-time athleticism and has much better pocket mobility. I think Richardson is better right now and has more upside than Levis. The Colts' new coach, Shane Steichen, came from Philadelphia with a running quarterback, so fitting Richardson into the scheme will be hand in glove. Number five, Seattle Seahawks select Jalen Carter, defensive tackle from Georgia. Carter's probably the best overall player in this draft class.

Starting point is 00:04:58 The issue is he has some off-field concerns. They have NFL teams worry. Carter isn't known as a hard worker, and he had a pre-draft incident where he lied to police allegedly and fled the scene of a car accident in which a teammate was actually killed. Carter wasn't at fault, but it's a lapse in judgment that some teams are scared off by. Pete Carroll is not. Carroll is a master of reigning in difficult personalities. The Seahawks will happily take the most talented player on the board and add him to their defensive line. With that, we have our first trade of the draft. Well, during the draft, if you don't want to count the Carolina Panthers trading up to number one and the Houston Texans trade up to number six to draft Will Levis,

Starting point is 00:05:46 quarterback out of Kentucky. The Texans have a little draft day scenario playing out here. They take the defensive player that they coveted the second pick and then trade up and still get their quarterback of the future. Levis may show some lower body mechanical issues, but his quick release, strong arm, and experience in a pro-style system will resonate with decision makers around the NFL. Houston gives up pick 12, 33, and 104 to come up five spots for their quarterback.

Starting point is 00:06:13 Pick number seven, Las Vegas Raiders, Devon Witherspoon, cornerback, Illinois. The Raiders are in desperate need of cornerbacks, and yes, they could take C.J. Stroud here, but some think Stroud has the upside of a Jimmy Garoppolo who the Raiders just brought in. The Raiders need to turn things around and win right now, and Witherspoon helps them do that more than a quarterback, or more than a quarterback, I should say. Pick number eight, we have another trade the Green Bay Packers jump up to number eight and select Jackson Smith and Jigba wide receiver Ohio State the Packers traded away Aaron Rodgers and got picks back from the Jets and were able to swap the 15th pick to the 13th they use those extra

Starting point is 00:06:59 picks and the first round swap to move up and get what I consider to be the only first round wide receiver in this draft. You have to love the irony of the Packers never giving Rodgers a first round receiver and then trading up to get one the moment he is gone. The Packers give up 13 and 42 to move up from 13 to 8. Pick number nine, the Chicago Bears. Select Paris Johnson Jr., the offensive tackle out of Ohio State. The Bears were big spenders in free agency as they looked to add talent to a poor

Starting point is 00:07:32 roster. One of the things that they did not solve was the issue at left tackle. Currently, second year player Braxton Jones is set to start at the spot, but that is not a valid answer to protect Justin Fields' blind side. Johnson is a great athlete with quick feet, but that is not a valid answer to protect Justin Fields' blind side. Johnson is a great athlete with quick feet, and he is a perfect person to pair with the electric ability of Fields. Pick number 10, Philadelphia Eagles select Peter Skowronski, offensive lineman, Northwestern. I think this pick is one of the most, or is the one I was the most unsure about because the Eagles could go corner with Christian Gonzalez or one of the remaining edge rushers or one of the other offensive linemen,

Starting point is 00:08:13 but Skowronski is going to be a plug-and-play starter from day one, and with Philly in a Super Bowl or bust mode, this pick makes a lot of sense as a replacement for guard Isaac Samalo, who left in free agency. Also, Skowronski might be able to kick out and replace Lane Johnson eventually. Pick number 11, the Tennessee Titans. CJ Stroud, quarterback, Ohio State. I'm manifesting it.

Starting point is 00:08:43 This is the ideal situation for the Titans. Stroud falls in the draft due to some character concerns, a rumor that he tested poorly on the S2 cognition test. I don't care about all that because Stroud is the most gifted passer of the football of any of the quarterbacks in this draft. The Titans don't give up any extra picks, select Stroud, cut Ryan Tannehill, and save $18 million in salary cap space.

Starting point is 00:09:11 Perfect. Pick 12, the Detroit Lions. Christian Gonzalez, cornerback out of Oregon. What an incredible situation for the Lions. They trade down and still land a player that they could have potentially have wanted at pick six. Gonzalez's long athletic corner. And now that Jeff Okuda has been sent to Atlanta,

Starting point is 00:09:33 the Lions have a huge hole at cornerback. Couldn't have gone any better for Detroit. But with that being said, we're going to take a quick break here. Want to let you guys know that today's bonus edition of the Locked on Titans podcast is brought to you by the Ultimate Pro Football GM app. With the Ultimate Pro Football GM app, you get to manage your football franchise from top to bottom. That means drafting players, signing free agents, hiring and firing coaches, setting

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Starting point is 00:10:36 Ultimate Pro Football GM app. Start your dynasty today. Let's continue the 2023 NFL mock draft for the first round. My yearly installment bonus episode for you guys. Hope that you enjoy it. We are going to pick things up with pick number 13, the Atlanta Falcons select B. John Robinson, running back out of Texas. Hey, maybe this is crazy. Maybe Robinson doesn't go until much later, but it seems like he has tremendous value in the draft

Starting point is 00:11:22 regardless of the devaluing of running backs. You hear rumors about the Falcons liking Robinson, and head coach Arthur Smith clearly wants to run the football. Unless Atlanta surprises and goes for a quarterback, they are looking at a second year of Desmond Ritter under center. If the Falcons want to seriously win now, they'll need an outrageously good run game to take the pressure off of Ritter.

Starting point is 00:11:43 Robinson can help them do that. Number 14, the New England Patriots select Lucas Van Ness, edge rusher, Iowa. New England loves to stack the trenches. Van Ness ticks a lot of boxes that they like. He's a physical player with great inside-outside versatility as a rusher. He's young and needs to develop, but the raw power and athleticism will be exactly what the Patriots are looking for.

Starting point is 00:12:09 Pick number 15, the New York Jets select Broderick Jones, offensive tackle out of Georgia. The Jets need reinforcements on the offensive line, and they are going to give, and if they are going to give Aaron Rodgers time to take apart defenses, the Jets have to have some nice weapons on offense, and Rodgers has to be able to stand in and deliver the ball to them. Former first-rounder Makai Becton at left tackle

Starting point is 00:12:33 and Max Mitchell at right tackle. I mean, Mitchell is a fourth-rounder from 2022 that could easily be replaced, and Becton hasn't been able to stay healthy. Adding another tackle who could also maybe play some guard is the smart move. Number 16, the Washington Commanders select Brian Branch, defensive back, Alabama.

Starting point is 00:12:55 Some folks see Branch as a safety, but I think he's more in the mold of a nickelback that can play in the slot and in the box. We've seen a lot of defensive backs around the league gain acclaim from manning that role. Jalen Ramsey did that as the star position in Los Angeles. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson did that for a lot of the year with Philadelphia. Last year, Branch adds that element to the commander's defense

Starting point is 00:13:18 that needs more athleticism over the middle. Pick number 17, Pittsburgh Steelers select Darnell Washington, or Darnell Wright, the offensive tackle out of Tennessee. This is a match made in heaven. The Steelers need an offensive tackle, and Wright is a nasty finisher who fits the ethos of the Steelers' franchise history. There's some recent buzz around Wright and his football character.

Starting point is 00:13:43 Questions about his work ethic and drive have popped up. You know who could fix that issue? Mike Tomlin. Pick number 18, the Detroit Lions select Michael Mayer, tight end out of Notre Dame. The Lions traded their former first-round tight end in TJ Hawkinson during the 2022 season. They replace him here and add Mayer.

Starting point is 00:14:04 Mayer is a physical player that can block and catch. He fits the 2022 season. They replace him here and add Mayer. Mayer is a physical player that can block and catch. He fits the play style the Lions are trying to embody. Not to mention, the Lions have a huge need at the position. Someone named Brock Wright is set to be their starter. This is a no-brainer and caps off a really nice first round for Detroit. Pick number 19, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Miles Murphy, edge rusher Clemson. The Bucs were a tough team to mock. They're transitioning away from Tom Brady, so maybe they trade up to get someone to replace him. I don't think they pay

Starting point is 00:14:37 that price though. Tampa will be in a transition, and when that happens, teams should just focus on premium positions like corner, receiver, offensive line, and pass rush. The only prospect that I think is a match right here is Murphy or Joey Porter Jr. The Bucs ultimately decide to go with pass rush. Pick number 20, the Seattle Seahawks select Joey Porter Jr., the cornerback out of Penn State. Joey Porter Jr. is long, physical cornerback that is great at disrupting receivers at the line of scrimmage. He may not have elite movement skills that you want, but that fits perfectly in the Seahawks' cover three heavy defensive scheme. Porter Jr. could just focus on pressing his man at the line of scrimmage,

Starting point is 00:15:21 guarding his outside third, and use his instincts to break on routes and make plays on the ball. Pick number 21 is the Los Angeles Chargers. They select Dalton Kincaid, the tight end, out of Utah. Kincaid has incredible receiving ability. He is fast and quick. He's got soft hands. The Chargers don't have a ton of obvious needs outside of maybe more offensive line help. They could choose to add another receiver here, but Kincaid serves the same purpose. Gives them even more of a threat over the middle of the field, and there are some

Starting point is 00:15:55 injury concerns with Kincaid, but as long as the Chargers are okay with that and their medical team has cleared it, he should be a very good pick for them there. Before we move forward to the last 10 picks in this mock draft, do want to let you guys know that today's bonus episode of the Locked on Titans podcast is brought to you by Built Bars. Built Bars are the best tasting protein bars in the galaxy. You get the

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Starting point is 00:17:02 Titans fans and football fans in general who may be tuning in, we are going to cap off the 2023 Tyler Rowland NFL mock draft with the last 10 picks here to go through. We've gone through the first 21 picks so far. I'll do a quick recap with you guys. Pick number one, Bryce Young. Pick number one, Carolina Panthers, Bryce Young. Houston Texans at number two, Tyree Wilson. Arizona Cardinals at number three, Will Anderson.

Starting point is 00:17:32 Indianapolis Colts at number four, Anthony Richardson. Seattle Seahawks at five, Jalen Carter. A trade. The Houston Texans go up to six to get Will Levis. At number seven, the Las Vegas Raiders select Devon Witherspoon. Pick number eight, the Green Bay Packers trade up and select Jackson Smith and Jigba. Pick number nine, the Chicago Bears take Paris Johnson Jr. Pick ten, the Philadelphia

Starting point is 00:17:55 Eagles select Peter Skowronski. Pick eleven, the Tennessee Titans get C.J. Stroud. Pick number twelve, the Detroit Lions get Christian Gonzalez. Pick thirteen, the Atlanta Falcons get Bijan Robinson. Pick 14, the New England Patriots get Lucas Van Ness. Pick 15, the New York Jets get

Starting point is 00:18:11 Broderick Jones. Pick 16, the Washington Commanders get Brian Branch. Pick 17, the Pittsburgh Steelers get Darnell Wright. Pick 18, the Detroit Lions get Michael Mayer. Pick 19, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers get Miles Murphy. Pick 20, the Seattle Seahawks get Joey Porter. Pick 21, the Los Angeles Chargers get Dalton Kincaid.

Starting point is 00:18:31 We're going to move forward here at pick number 22, the Baltimore Ravens select Nolan Smith, edge rusher out of Georgia. Smith has all the tools to be a great pass rusher. The issue is the production never matched the tools, and in a great defense like the Bulldogs, it's hard to justify how Smith couldn't do more. He dealt with some injuries and needs to add some weight, but Smith could be brought along slowly in Baltimore and will get the coaching he needs. Typically, the Ravens pick or the Ravens end up taking a talented guy who maybe dropped too far. We see that here.

Starting point is 00:19:05 Pick number 23, the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings could be one of those teams that makes a huge move for a quarterback. All the word around the league is they are done with Kirk Cousins and want to move off him as soon as realistically possible. If they don't make a big move, corner is a great place to go.

Starting point is 00:19:23 Banks is an athletic guy with an edge and would be a nice fit for Minnesota. Excuse me. Pick number 24, just the sight of the name makes me have to cough, makes me unwell. The Jacksonville Jaguars. And they select Osiris Torrance, the guard out of Florida. Torrance is nasty and a mean blocker who plays with power. The Jaguars need more run blocking skill on the offensive line

Starting point is 00:19:49 and have a huge need on the interior offensive line as well. It's a match made in heaven. The Jags have a solid roster coming together, so mocking them was a bit difficult as well, but you can't go wrong with helping keep Trevor Lawrence protected. Pick number 25, the New York Giants select Jordan Addison, wide receiver out of USC. The Giants had the worst receiving core in the NFL by the end of the season, so their remodel of the position continues.

Starting point is 00:20:17 Addison is a silky smooth route runner that can immediately become the Giants' number one receiver. Value and need match up here. Pick number 26, the Dallas Cowboys select Cam Smith, cornerback out of South Carolina. This is going to be a big first round for corners, in my opinion. You can never have too many in a pass-happy NFL, and the Cowboys need someone to pair with Trevon Diggs. Yes, the Cowboys may have brought in Stephon Gilmore, but he is in the twilight of his career,

Starting point is 00:20:44 and he only cost him a fifth-round pick. Smith could be someone to give the Cowboys a fantastic duo for years to come. I think they would have wanted a tight end here, but the board didn't fall the right way. Pick number 27, the Buffalo Bills select Brian Bracey, interior defensive lineman, Clemson. Feels like the Bills have been trying to get rid of Ed Oliver for quite some time,

Starting point is 00:21:07 so to allow them to actually do it, they draft Recy. This kicks off a run on interior defensive linemen, and interior defensive line is not a great group in this year's draft, so teams with a need will want to take care of it now. At pick number 28, the Cincinnati Bengals select Elijah Cansey, the interior defensive lineman out of Pittsburgh. I sound like Wiz Khalif out there.

Starting point is 00:21:30 Pittsburgh, Cansey continues to get Aaron Donald comparisons. And while I think that is far-fetched, Cansey is still a player worthy of a first-round pick. Cansey may be a bit undersized, but he is a ferocious pass rusher from the interior and that is the only thing the Bengals are missing on the defensive line

Starting point is 00:21:48 DJ Reeder and BJ Hill are both great run stuffers but Cancy gives them a pass rusher from the inside that can be rotated in on passing downs pick number 29 the New Orleans Saints select Mazie Smith

Starting point is 00:22:00 the interior defensive lineman out of Michigan drop Mazie into the middle of the Saints defense and watched them continue to dominate. Smith is a powerful man who can stop the run and occupy blockers so the Saints linebackers can run free. The Saints have a huge hole on the interior, so this fits a major need.

Starting point is 00:22:18 Hit number 30, we have a trade. The Las Vegas Raiders select Hendon Hooker, quarterback, out of Tennessee. The Raiders passed on a quarterback early in the draft to grab a corner. They desperately need it in Witherspoon. But they don't pass on quarterback altogether. The Raiders have picks 38, 70, 100, and 109. They can package a couple of those together and make a move up eight picks to get Hooker. A Hooker in Vegas? Hooker doesn't need to play right away because of Garoppolo,

Starting point is 00:22:53 which gives him time to heal from the ACL, and Hooker can learn more of a pro-style offense in the process. Unlike other project passers like Richardson and Levis, Hooker could be ready to win as soon as 2024, which matches what the Raiders want. Pick number 31, the Kansas City Chiefs select Zay Flowers, wide receiver, Boston College. Flowers is electric

Starting point is 00:23:17 as a playmaker and would give the Chiefs another weapon after they lost Juju Smith-Schuster in free agency. Kadarius Toney and Sky Moore have potential, but Flowers may be a better player right away. Either way, having all of them with Patrick Mahomes throwing the ball sounds like a winning formula. That is going to do it for my 2023 mock draft.

Starting point is 00:23:39 I hope you guys enjoyed. Let me know down below in the comments what you think I got right, what you think I got wrong. Either way, strap in, folks. It's going to be an exciting night. Again, for my Titans fans, I'm going to have instant reactions to each of the picks as they happen. I'm going to do a breakdown episode every night

Starting point is 00:23:56 at the end of each of those nights to recap what the Titans have done. Make sure you subscribe to the Locked on Titans podcast on whatever platform you do stream. The Locked on Titans YouTube channel as well. Follow me over at Tic Tac Titans. That's going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was a special

Starting point is 00:24:16 presentation of the Locked on Titans podcast. Thanks for watching!

Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tyler Rowland's 2023 NFL Mock Draft Special: Titans Select Quarterback, Three Trades & 5 QBs Selected

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