The NFL Draft is an exciting time for all football fans because every General Manager has multiple opportunities to improve their team for the upcoming season, but it completely depends on who they select. In addition to picking new players to join their rosters, General Managers love to trade players and picks in order to receive a higher draft selection.
A majority of Tennessee Titans fans were blindsided by a trade that gave the Philadelphia Eagles an elite wide receiver in A.J. Brown, as the Titans received a first round pick. The main reason for this trade was because of lackluster contract negotiations between the Titans and Brown, but losing such a cornerstone to the franchise for solely a first round pick is going to be concerning for many Titans fans.
It is important to note that the Titans signed Robert Woods from the Los Angeles Rams during this year’s free agency, so the team still has a solid target for Ryan Tannehill. Woods has been a successful receiver during the 2018-2020 seasons, which were his most productive years. However, Woods is 30 years old and coming off of a torn ACL injury that he suffered in November, which will make it difficult to return to his prior form.
Meanwhile, Brown is only 24 years old and has already had two seasons of 1,000 receiving yards in just three years of experience. Brown only missed the benchmark this past season due to missing four games with a lingering hamstring injury. So, going from Brown to Woods as the top receiver option is definitely a downgrade for the Titans.
Since the Titans received a first round pick in this year’s draft in compensation for Brown, the Titans elected to choose former Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks to replace Brown.
Burks entered the draft following a stellar junior year, which showcased him acquiring more than 1,100 receiving yards and 11 receiving touchdowns through just 12 games of action. In half of those games, Burks had more than 100 receiving yards. His most notable game of the season has to be against the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he had 8 receptions for 179 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Although losing Brown was a devastating loss for the Titans, Woods and Burks should be able to help the passing game remain enough of a threat to open up the running game for Derrick Henry.
The rest of the Titans draft definitely had some great selections, as they chose Auburn’s lockdown cornerback Roger McCreary early in the second round. McCreary joins the youthful talent in the Titans secondary: Kevin Byard, Kristian Fulton, and Caleb Farley. Farley was the first round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and is returning from a torn ACL, so McCreary will be a great backup in case another dreadful injury occurs.
Interestingly, the Titans picked up a quarterback in the third round of the draft to serve as a backup to Tannehill. Malik Willis transferred from Auburn to Liberty due to the lack of playing time, which was one of the best decisions of his life. Willis had a 62.7% completion percentage, 5,107 passing yards, and 47 passing touchdowns through just 23 games at Liberty. Willis also ran for more than 1,800 yards and 27 touchdowns, which illustrates his passing and rushing prowess.
Another third round selection was an offensive lineman from Ohio State, Nicholas Petit-Frere. Rodger Saffold was a pro bowl offensive lineman for the Titans in 2021, but the Titans lost him in free agency to the Buffalo Bills. So, Petit-Frere should be a solid addition to the offensive line and will probably get a decent amount of playing time this upcoming season.
The last notable selection for the Titans came in the fourth round, as they acquired running back Hassan Haskins. Obviously, Haskins will be serving as a backup to Henry, but Haskins will be a good change-of-pace running back for the Titans this season. Haskins showed the capability to break tackles and outrun defenders in open space while playing for the Michigan Wolverines. Also, Haskins is a nice backup to have because Henry missed a majority of last season with a Jones fracture.
Despite losing Brown to free agency, the Titans should be a playoff caliber team with a chance to do some damage in the playoffs. With the addition of Burks and McCreary, the offense and defense should still be in the higher tiers of the NFL and give them a high chance to compete for first in the AFC South. Although, it is important to note that the Indianapolis Colts are likely favored to win that division because of the upgrades they made during this offseason.