It's officially the week of the 2024 NFL Draft. The first round will get underway from Detroit on Thursday, April 25th at 7:00 p.m. CST.
The Tennessee Titans own the 7th overall pick in the draft and should have a good opportunity to add one of the top non-quarterback talents in the draft.
Second-year GM Ran Carthon and first-year head coach Brian Callahan are still looking for the final pieces of the puzzle to complete their reformed roster. Here's a look at the prospects on mu "wish list" for Tennessee throughout all seven rounds.
Round 1
WR Malik Nabers
Until Malik Nabers' name is called by Roger Goodell and he is handed the jersey of another team on stage, I won't stop pounding the table for the Tennessee Titans to draft him with the seventh overall pick. Nabers' explosive speed changes games and make life easy on his quarterback.
Adding him to an offense with DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley would be so much fun in 2024 and set the Titans up to continue building a modernized offense under Brian Callahan.
OT Joe Alt
Joe Alt is probably the safest pick for the Titans, but there's good reason for that. He is widely considered the top offensive tackle in this draft class and he'd be a Day 1 starter at left tackle for an organization that has struggled to fill that void for two years now.
Protecting Will Levis should be of the utmost importance to the Titans' coaching staff and front office. Sometimes the safe pick is the smart pick.
Round 2
EDGE Darius Robinson
After a big 2023 season for the Missouri Tigers, Darius Robinson has been flying up draft boards for his size, athleticism, and versatility. Some teams view Robinson strictly as an edge rusher. Others want him to move inside at the next level. The reality of the situation is that he can do both effectively, which is valuable.
The Titans still need to get better in the trenches and Robinson would be a great compliment to Jeffery Simmons, perhaps filling the role Denico Autry once did in Music City.
OT Patrick Paul
Patrick Paul is another one of my draft crushes that I just can't let go of. At 6-foot-7 and 1/2 inches, and 331 pounds, Paul is a shockingly large human being whose upside is apparent the minute he steps on the field. He's got the size and ability to anchor that Brian Callahan looks for.
Paul has a lot of collegiate experience at left tackle. If the Titans go with a wide receiver like Nabers in the first round, I'd love to see the Titans take a swing in Round 2 and give Bill Callahan a chance to work with him.
Round 3 (In case of trade back)
LB Junior Colson
A native of Brentwood, TN and an alumni of Ravenwood High School, Michigan Wolverines linebacker Junior Colson is an excellent tackler and dangerous zone defender that brings a refreshing blend of speed and explosiveness to the inside linebacker position.
The most common critique of Colson is that he doesn't always play downhill. But that may not be a huge issue in the 2024 Titans defense with Kenneth Murray Jr. alongside him. I still think the Titans need anther starting inside linebacker and I'd love to see them grab Colson in a Day 2 trade back scenario.
WR Jalen McMillan
I think Jalen McMillan is the most underrated wide receiver in this draft. He led the Washington Huskies in catches (79) and touchdowns (9) in 2022 while racking up 1,098 receiving yards in 13 games. He was on pace to surpass all of those marks in 2023 before knee injury kept him out for a majority of 2023.
Upon returning, McMillan recorded 131 yards against the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
McMillan is a really smooth route runner with explosive speed and good control of his body. He spent a lot of time in the slot at Washington, which would fit in nicely with the Titans' 2024 offense. Had he stayed healthy, he's probably getting first round buzz. But if Tennessee doesn't grab a receiver early, they could zero in on McMillan in the middle rounds.
Round 4
LB Cedric Gray
Few linebackers in college football have been as productive as UNC's Cedric Gray has been over the last two seasons. From 2022-2023, Gray recorded 266 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, six sacks, and three interceptions with the Tar Heels.
Gray had the No. 1 production score of all linebacker at the 2024 NFL Combine. He's the 5th overall best linebacker on the consensus draft big board.
"His playing style won't be for everyone, but he does have backup potential if he's allowed to cut it loose and play fast rather than with force," writes NFL analyst Lance Zierlein of Gray. Titans' defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson already gave a press conference about wanting to play fast and let his linebackers "play loose." It's easy to see how this could be a match if he's available at 106.
OT Blake Fisher
Blake Fisher has started 25 games at right tackle for Notre Dame over the last two seasons. He does a good job of anchoring against power rushers and showed impressive agility as a lead puller.
Fisher needs to get off the ball quicker to about playing from a disadvantaged position. But there's enough here for me to be intrigued, and the connection between Titans offensive line coach Bill Callahan and Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph is relevant. I still think the Titans' starting right tackle could be found in the draft.
Late Rounds
EDGE Jalyx Hunt
Jalyx Hunt is a former safety that moved to the defensive line after transferring from Cornell to Houston Christian. He's now an intriguing NFL draft prospect with the second highest athletic score of any edge rusher in the draft class (4.64-second 40-yard dash).
The speed off the edge is there. The technique is better than you'd expect for a converted defensive back. The biggest things missing from Hunt's game are experience and weight. This would be a fun project for the Titans to take a flyer on in the later rounds of the draft. I'm all for taking swings at positions of need.
DL DeWayne Carter
Similar to Robinson, DeWayne Carter is a defensive lineman with versatility to play anywhere from edge to defensive tackle. He's technically sound and patient against the run and generated 80 pressures over the last two seasons at Duke.
Carter spent five seasons at Duke, the last three of which he was a team captain and defensive leader. I don't foresee Carter turning into an NFL superstar, but I think he can be a good culture fit and solid rotational piece of the Titans' defensive line.
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