2024 Tennessee Titans 7-round mock draft: Fill a huge need, then start dealing
The Titans have been one of the NFL’s most active teams this offseason.
They handed out big contracts to wide receiver Calvin Ridley, center Lloyd Cushenberry, running back Tony Pollard and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie in free agency. They traded for and extended lockdown corner L’Jarius Sneed.
Taking advantage of the financial flexibility that comes with having Will Levis, a quarterback on a rookie contract, Tennessee has been aggressively constructing its roster the past few weeks.
So what could that mean for draft time?
The No. 7 overall pick headlines the Titans’ eight selections in the 2024 NFL Draft. The others are: Nos. 38 (second round), 106 (fourth round), 146 (fifth round), 182 (sixth round), 227 (seventh round), 242 (seventh round) and 252 (seventh round).
Left tackle is Tennessee’s most-glaring need, but reinforcements are needed across both sides of the ball — right tackle, safety, linebacker and defensive tackle among them.
Here is FOX Sports’ seven-round mock draft for the Titans:
Round 1, No. 7 overall: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
Measurables: 6-foot-9, 321 pounds
Notable stats: started 33 consecutive games at left tackle
The Titans’ need for a franchise left tackle has been discussed ad nauseam. In Alt, Tennessee would be getting an elite talent for Bill Callahan, one of football’s most respected O-line gurus, to develop.
As a three-year starter in a pro-style offense at Notre Dame, Alt has the pedigree to step in Day 1 to protect Levis’ blindside. He’s widely viewed as the best prospect in an offensive-tackle class that many in the scouting community believe is one of the best ever.
“While perhaps lacking the ‘special’ athletic traits to wow scouts, Alt may have the lowest floor of any prospect in this class, regardless of position,” FOX Sports NFL Draft Analyst Rob Rang wrote in his offensive-tackle rankings piece. “Barring injury, Alt is a decade-long starter.”
Of the 84 FBS offensive tackles who played at least 317 snaps last season, Alt ranked No. 1 with just five pressures allowed, according to Pro Football Focus.
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TRADE! The Titans move back in the draft, trading the 38th pick (second round) to the Bengals for Nos. 49 (second round) and 97 (third round).
Round 2, No. 49 overall (via Cincinnati Bengals): Adisa Isaac, Edge, Penn State
Measurables: 6-foot-4, 247 pounds
2023 stats: 6.5 sacks, 27 tackles (13.5 for loss), 1 FF
The Titans lost veteran Denico Autry in free agency, and have underwhelming depth on the edge behind Harold Landry III and Arden Key, who has been at his best as a situational pass rusher. Tennessee needs a young pass rusher to groom as a future starter.
At Penn State, Isaac was a beneficiary of having fellow top prospect Chop Robinson on the opposite side, but he’s a standout in his own right. Isaac is lauded for his length, athleticism and motor, which on paper makes him a strong complement for the likes of Landry and superstar defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. He had 6.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for the Nittany Lions last season.
Round 3, No. 97 overall (via Cincinnati Bengals): Javon Baker, WR, UCF
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 202 pounds
2023 stats: 52 receptions for 1,139 yards and 7 TDs
Don’t be surprised if the Titans target a receiver in the top 100, despite the addition of Ridley. Tennessee has a dearth of young talent at the position. Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins are 29 and 31 years old, respectively. Through two seasons, Treylon Burks has been a disappointment as a first-round pick.
Baker led the Big 12 in receiving yards last season. Of wide receivers who saw at least 76 targets, he led the FBS with 21.9 yards per catch. Plus, he played inside and out at UCF, so head coach Brian Callahan will be able to move him around.
Round 4, No. 106 overall: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson
Measurables: 6-foot, 228 pounds
2023 stats: 88 tackles (15 for loss), 5.5 sacks, 2 FFs, 2 INTs, 7 PBUs
The Titans added Kenneth Murray Jr. in free agency, but a gaping hole at inside linebacker remains in the wake of Azeez Al-Shaair‘s departure in free agency. Tennessee’s top returners at the spot are Otis Reese IV and Jack Gibbens, undrafted free agents from the past couple of seasons.
Trotter, who comes from NFL bloodlines (his father was a four-time Pro Bowl linebacker with the Eagles), would bring much-needed playmaking to the middle of Dennard Wilson’s defense.
Last season, Trotter led Clemson in tackles (88) and tackles for loss (15), also adding 5.5 sacks, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two interceptions (including a pick-six). He’s one of just 14 FBS players in the past 20 years to record at least 10 sacks, four interceptions, three forced fumbles and multiple pick-sixes in his college career.
Now consider that the Titans had just 14 takeaways last season, second-worst in the league.
Round 5, No. 146 overall: Jaden Crumedy, DT, Mississippi State
Measurables: 6-foot-4, 301 pounds
2023 stats: 35 tackles (3.5 for loss), 2.5 sacks
Tennessee added a starting-caliber defensive tackle in free agency in Sebastian Joseph-Day to pair with Simmons, but additional depth is needed. The room is rounded out by a combination of ex-sixth-round picks and undrafted free agents: Shakel Brown, Quinton Bohanna, Keondre Coburn, Shakel Brown and TK McLendon Jr. A talent upgrade is needed.
Crumedy would bring to Nashville plenty of experience from the highest level of college football. He was a four-year starter at Mississippi State, having played in 53 career games, including 47 starts. He ended his college career with 39 straight starts.
TRADE! Tennessee sends two seventh-round picks, Nos. 227 and 252, to Minnesota for No. 177, the first selection of the sixth round.
Round 6, No. 177 overall (via Minnesota Vikings): Kitan Oladapo, S, Oregon State
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 216 pounds
2023 stats: 74 tackles (3.0 for loss), 2 INTs, 1 sack, 1 FF, 8 PBUs
Safety is another spot on Tennessee’s roster that would benefit from an injection of youth. Don’t rule out a free-agent addition — plenty of top safeties remain available, including Justin Simmons, Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs — but there’s a lack of depth behind entrenched starter Amani Hooker and Elijah Molden, who has played plenty of nickel for Tennessee.
Oladapo is viewed as a prototypical strong safety, meaning he may lurk primarily around the line of scrimmage as a pro, but he flashed enough ball skills in college to warrant interest from Wilson, a defensive backs specialist.
Round 6, No. 182 overall: Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, Purdue
Measurables: 5-foot-11, 209 pounds
2023 stats: 113 carries for 716 yards and 8 TDs
With Derrick Henry gone and Tyjae Spears set to take on elevated running back responsibilities in 2024, the Titans will need a new primary kick returner.
Tracy, who’ll be an older rookie at 24, was second in the Big Ten last season with 408 kick return yards, including a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown.
Offensively, he’d bring the versatility out of the backfield that Brian Callahan covets. Tracy was a full-time running back for the first time last season, when he led the Big Ten with 127.4 all-purpose yards per game.
Round 7, No. 242 overall (via Philadelphia Eagles): Dylan McMahon, C, NC State
Measurables: 6-foot-3, 299 pounds
2023 stats: 11 appearances
McMahon has plenty of athletic upside, making him a potential project for Bill Callahan. He had the second-highest athletic score among all centers at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.
McMahon played center and guard at NC State.
Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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