With the deadline for pre-draft visits approaching, teams around the league continue to do as much homework as possible on prospects they could be in range to select. For the Titans, that process has included hosting high-end players on both sides of the ball.
Tennessee recently met with defensive end Keion White and wide receiver Zay Flowers, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter links). White is one of the more intriguing members of this year’s edge rushing class, one which is thought to have a number of potential first-rounders beyond the likes of Will Anderson, Tyree Wilson, Nolan Smith and Lukas Van Ness.
White began his college career at Old Dominion after operating as a two-way player at the high school level. He played tight end in 2018, but then switched to defensive end full-time the following season. His 19 tackles for loss in 2019 led to heightened expectations upon his transfer to Georgia Tech. As a member of the Yellow Jackets, he put himself in the first-round conversation with 7.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss during the 2022 campaign.
Those figures could be a sign of things to come as the 6-4, 267-pounder is still relatively early in his time spent exclusively as a pass rusher. The Titans could be in the market for a high-end addition in that department, after moving on from veteran Bud Dupree earlier this offseason. Tennessee ranked 18th in the league in sacks in 2022, and is in need of long-term edge producers to compliment defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who is in the team’s plans for the foreseeable future.
Likewise, a receiver addition early in the draft would come as no surprise. The Titans struggled in the passing game last season as they began life after A.J. Brown. They used a first-round pick on Treylon Burks in 2022, but more additions should be expected as they look to take a step forward on offense. Flowers has moved up many draft boards following a 1,000-yard campaign in 2022, and he has taken several visits with teams scattered across the first-round order.
The same is also true of cornerback Cam Smith, whom the Titans hosted (Twitter link via Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport). The South Carolina product is part of a very deep CB class, and has generated attention from several teams looking to add him in the late first or early second round. Tennessee has invested heavily at the cornerback spot recently, using first- or second-round selections on Kristian Fulton, Caleb Farley and Roger McCreary in three consecutive years. They also signed Sean Murphy-Bunting in free agency, which should give them a number of options in the secondary.
Tennessee holds the 11th overall pick, one which has been connected to a potential trade-up for a quarterback. If they stay put, though, that selection would be considered a reach for any of White, Flowers or Smith. The Titans’ next pick is No. 41, by which point any or all of them could quite possibly be off the board. If they are able land one of them, however, the team will have done its due diligence ahead of time.
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