Deep WR draft class could bring Titans offense back to life

There’s no question that wide receiver depth—or a lack thereof—led to the Tennessee Titans having the 30th-ranked passing offense in the NFL in 2022.

But fortunately for Tennessee, the 2023 draft class is loaded with talented wideouts. With as many as 15 projected to be picked in the first three rounds, Titans first-year general manager Ran Carthon doesn’t feel pressured into reaching for a WR just because it’s a top position of need.

“There’s value everywhere in this draft,” he said during Monday’s pre-draft news conference. “One thing you look at now in college football there’s a lot of talented receivers. It’s a passing game; everyone’s spread, so most teams play with four or five receivers at a time. So, there’s value from the top all the way down.”

The Titans had the third-fewest touchdown receptions (16) and the fourth-fewest receptions (285) and receiving yards (3,227) in the NFL last season.

Only one receiver—Robert Woods, who’s no longer on the roster—caught more than 35 passes or had more than 450 yards, third-string receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine led the team with three touchdowns.

While rookie Treylon Burks showed flashes (he totaled 33 receptions on 54 targets for 444 yards and a touchdown), he only played in 11 games. Fellow rookie Kyle Philips had a strong debut game, catching six passes on nine targets for 66 yards, he too suffered from injuries and missed 13 games.

But the beauty of a deep receiver class is the Titans can find exactly the kind of wideout they want and in essentially any round they want.

“I don’t want to name players specifically, but you can imagine there are the big, taller guys that can go up and get the ball," Carthon added. "There are the physical guys, you have your slot guys that can win and create separation laterally, and then you have your jackrabbits that can line (up) anywhere and do a bunch of different things when they get the ball in their hands and make plays.”

Should Tennessee use its No. 11 overall pick on the position, Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba figures to be the favorite, but TCU’s Quentin Johnston, USC’s Jordan Addison or Boston College’s Zay Flowers could all be first-round options.

If the Titans wait until the second round, Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt, North Carolina’s Josh Downs, SMU’s Rashee Rice, Oklahoma’s Marvin Mims or Houston’s Tank Dell could be in the mix. 

Potential third-round options include Ole Miss’ Jonathan Mingo, Cincinnati’s Tyler Scott, Tennessee’s Cedric Tillman, Nebraska’s Trey Palmer LSU’s Kayshon Boutte or Wake Forest’s A.T. Perry could be possibilities as well.