The Tennessee Titans go into the 2024 NFL Draft with seven picks and several question marks, but they may have addressed their biggest issue by drafting quarterback Will Levis in 2023.
Levis has had his ups and downs, and injuries have limited his playing time, but he is showing flashes in his rookie year of potentially being the Titans’ quarterback of the future. In his first game, he threw for four touchdowns and put several superstar-worthy throws on tape.
If Levis can reach his potential as a franchise QB, that immensely improves the outlook for the Titans moving forward. Having a franchise QB on a rookie deal can be immensely helpful for building a championship roster due to the cost efficiency of rookie-scale contracts.
Now, the challenge is for the Titans to draft effectively in order to fill out a roster around Levis that currently has several significant holes.
Two positions the Titans should focus on addressing this year are wide receiver and offensive tackle.
DeAndre Hopkins is not getting any younger, and the Titans must bring in a younger receiver who can be the future of the franchise at that position. Although Hopkins is still productive, it is time for the Titans to draft a receiver that can thrive as a running mate next to Hopkins, and grow into the role of WR1 as Hopkins continues to age.
Levis took too many sacks in 2023, and this likely contributed to the injuries he experienced that limited his playing time. While Levis needs to improve his pocket presence, the team must also do a better job of adding talent to the offensive line to protect their starting quarterback.
WRs Rome Odunze or Malik Nabers
In terms of adding a gifted young receiver, the Titans are in luck as the 2023 draft is incredibly deep for wideouts. Ohio State superstar Marvin Harrison Jr. stands head and shoulders above everybody else, but Washington’s Rome Odunze and LSU‘s Malik Nabers would each have a credible claim to being the best receiver in the class in most other years.
Odunze and Nabers are similar in many aspects but they each have different areas of their game that stand out.
While Odunze has elite size and route running, Nabers excels at the catch point and boasts incredible breakaway speed to turn a long gain into a house call.
Odunze has an argument as the best route runner in the class and is a sure-handed receiver who will come down with any ball that he can get a hand on. He is elite at tracking the ball on throws down the field and adjusting his body to make difficult catches appear routine.
He may not quite be a physical freak like Marvin Harrison Jr., George Pickens, or prime Julio Jones, but he is an above-average athlete with elite athleticism for his size.
Malik Nabers may not have the size of Odunze, but he makes up for it by being physical at the catch point and boasting the best top-end speed in the class.
Nabers is 6-foot-1 and a shade over 200 pounds, but he plays a lot bigger than that. He has elite ball-tracking skills and strong hands. That allows him to wrestle the ball away from defenders in 50-50 scenarios.
Nabers plays jump balls like a center in basketball, using his body to box out the defender and establish favorable position.
OT Olu Fashanu
Another route the Titans can take in this draft is to pursue an elite left tackle to secure the offense and protect Levis’ blindside.
Penn State's Olu Fashanu is the best offensive lineman in the draft, and he is who the Titans should target. It is possible, however, that Fashanu will go in the top three overall picks, and currently, the Titans pick at No. 7.
While it would certainly be a defensible decision for Tennessee's front office to trade up and secure Fashanu’s services, there is an alternative option.
OT Joe Alt
Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt comes from NFL bloodlines and possesses the ideal physical measurements to be a standout left tackle in the modern NFL.
At 6-foot-8 and 335 pounds, Alt has ideal size to be a blind side protector for his quarterback.
Alt still has areas to improve, namely when it comes to sliding his feet and maintaining his balance against outside spin moves by opposing pass rushers. However, he has the requisite size, athleticism, skills, and physicality to be successful at left tackle in the NFL.
While there are still obvious areas for Alt to improve, he has all the tools and measurables to project as an elite blocker who can anchor an offensive line in the NFL. Alt is a physical and aggressive blocker in the run game who can clear lanes for his running backs. He also projects as a steady and reliable pass blocker to protect Levis’ blind side.
The bottom line
The Titans can’t go wrong with any of these options. With four excellent choices available at positions of need, there is no reason for the team to waste resources by trading up. Rather, they should wait and select whichever player falls. In an ideal world, that player would be Fashanu. However, he is the most likely to be drafted before the Titans pick. Odunze and Nabers should be next, in that order. If all three are gone, Alt is a more than adequate consolation prize.
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