The NFL Draft has came and went, and Titans fans are yet again unhappy. Look, I get it. We all want to see a shiny new toy under the tree every Christmas morning. Sometimes Santa brings you a PlayStation or an Xbox, or a new Skateboard, but as you get older, he often brings you an assortment of socks and underwear. Maybe you were expecting those cool new Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jonathan Mingo action figures to play with on Sundays? Nah, not this go around. Maybe next year, pal. But let's not shy away from the fact that socks and underwear are necessary tools for survival. You won't last long in this cold world without fresh pairs of socks and underwear. And nobody needed a fresh pair of socks and underwear more this off season than the Tennessee Titans.
With the 11th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans select...
Round: 1 / Pick: 11 - Peter Skoronski, T / Northwestern
If socks and underwear were a person, that person would be Peter Skoronski.
This 6'4, 313 lbs Northwestern product is a monster of a human being that won the Remington-Pace Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year award, becoming the first Northwestern player to receive that honor in school history. Also, if you haven't noticed, Mike and Ran aren't exactly tiny men. Peter looks like he could put them both in a headlock while still fending off a bear attack. His accolades are indeed impressive, and most say he clearly was head and shoulders the best lineman in the draft. But let's be real... we all know he's here for one reason and one reason only...
This 6'4, 313 lbs Northwestern product is a monster of a human being that won the Remington-Pace Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year award, becoming the first Northwestern player to receive that honor in school history. Also, if you haven't noticed, Mike and Ran aren't exactly tiny men. Peter looks like he could put them both in a headlock while still fending off a bear attack. His accolades are indeed impressive, and most say he clearly was head and shoulders the best lineman in the draft. But let's be real... we all know he's here for one reason and one reason only...
(BECAUSE THIS GUY WAS TERRIBLE AT HIS JOB)
Yep, that's right. Dennis Daley crawled just so Peter Skoronkski could walk.
Lotta people hating on Skoronski for his short arms, extremely polished College tackle that can play anywhere.
— Taylor Lewan (@TaylorLewan77) April 28, 2023
Titan nation should be excited.
Respect the 7’s!
So yeah, where as I know everyone was hoping for a fancy new first round QB or WR or maybe even a DB, we had to settle for the ol' socks and underwear routine yet again. But hey, look on the bright side, at least this year we landed the best socks and underwear available on the market!
But let's talk about that Second Round Pick for a moment...
Round: 2/ Pick: 33 - Will Levis, QB / Kentucky
I haven't seen Nashville this polarized over a Titans front office move since they benched Marcus Mariota for Ryan Tannehill. Holy cow, let's pump the brakes a little bit. I think fans might be more upset with the Titans drafting Levis than trading away AJ Brown to the Eagles in last years draft. I must have missed the part where Levis came to your birthday party, trashed your house, kicked your dog around and stole your girlfriend. I don't know if it's the raw banana peel eating, the mayo coffee drinking or it's just the fact that he didn't play for the Tennessee Volunteers, one things for sure, some of ya'll ain't too happy to have this former big blue don two tone blue.
I know Eli and Peyton have both endorsed this man, as well as numerous other trusted NFL executives and analysts, but the guy taking my order at Taco Bell just now told me he sucks. So I really don’t know who to believe.#WillLevis #NflDraft #TitanUp #Titans @will_levis pic.twitter.com/GZOvgVgNRt
— Titans Idiot Nation (@TitansIdiot) May 1, 2023
Look, I get it. Hendon Hooker put up better stats all around the board. He's a solid QB who performed at the highest level on the largest stage until he suffered his ACL injury. There is no denying that he would have been a great addition to the locker room. But he's 25, coming off a major injury and is just as much of a risk as Levis. Personally, I would have been happy with either Levis or Hooker, it's an upgrade to what we currently have on the roster. I really think fans need to give it a rest with the ridiculous stats comparison. Anyway, here's some more stats to compare...
HENDON HOOKER (Virginia Tech & Tennesee)
WILL LEVIS (Penn State & Kentucky)
But if we can break it down beyond numbers. Let's talk about the SEC as a whole for a minute. There's no need for me to explain how dominant the players within the ranks of the conference are compared to most of the rest of the playing field. The conference National Championship track record speaks for itself. So with that being said, Tennessee had receivers go back to back in the third round while I'm sure the Wildcats haven't had an offensive player worth drafting since Randall Cobb, and that was over 12 years ago. Let's not act like Kentucky isn't out here battling Vandy for skill players year after year after year. Again, I'm not making excuses for interceptions, mistakes or poor throws, I'm just saying if we're comparing stats, then you're only as good as your best weapon. And I'd say Hendon had better receivers from top to bottom, which this years Draft has already proven.
#FUNFACT: When the Titans traded with the Cardinals in round two to move up to select Levis, the pick originally came from Houston where they traded with Arizona for the 3rd overall spot. So we can all thank Houston for hopefully helping us land our eventual franchise QB.
Moving on, let's talk about that underrated third round sneaky selection...
Round: 3 / Pick: 81 - Tyjae Spears, RB / Tulane
Look, I know his injury history scares you as it rightfully should, but we're Titans fans, what else is new? Truth being told, this kid is special. He's a damn living, breathing touchdown scoring video game character. Don't take my word for it, just check out this video from Two Minute Drill below:
Check out this Hidden Gem Video on Tyjae Spears from 2 Minute Drill
Spears was electric in 2022, earning the AAC Offensive Player of the Year Award by rushing for 1,581 yards and 19 scores while averaging an absurd 6.9 per carry. Tyjae also caught 22 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns. He's the explosive, Swiss army knife weapon the Titans so desperately need. We all want to see playmakers and Ran took a chance on what could arguably be one of the biggest steals in the draft. Time will tell. Oh, and you can already see the kid is excited to be a Titan.
Tennessee! 🗡 I'm forever grateful for this opportunity. It's time to #TitanUp
— Tyjae Spears (@tyjae22) April 29, 2023
🤝 @Titans #NFLDraft
Check out my 1st Panini Instant Rookie card here! #PaniniNFT #RatedRookie https://t.co/q2sEHAJJ2b pic.twitter.com/tLNTXnXGBx
Personally, I'm really excited to see what this human highlight reel can do at the next level and I hope he can contribute right away his rookie year. The ACL thing is a concern of course, why wouldn't it be? But ask Hines Ward about that no ACL thing. I like our chances with this kid. I'm in his corner.
Moving on to the fifth round where the Titans finally select a pass catcher, umm.. per say...
Round: 5 / Pick: 147 - Josh Whyle, TE / Cincinnati
Whyle caught 88 passes for 1,062 yards and 15 touchdowns during his four years at Cincinnati. His 15 touchdowns broke Cincinnati’s school record for touchdowns by a tight end. His performance earned him first-team All-AAC honors. Again, I know the fan base were looking for a wide receiver here, but honestly this was another solid grab by Ran and company. I would expect Whyle to be primarily used as a red zone target and blocking TE since we will be deploying Chig all over the field in the passing game. I do think once he gets acclimated to the speed of the NFL, he will a great compliment to Chig. If you haven't seen any highlights, the kid has a good combination of skill and size.
Whyle caught 88 passes for 1,062 yards and 15 touchdowns during his four years at Cincinnati. His 15 touchdowns broke Cincinnati’s school record for touchdowns by a tight end. His performance earned him first-team All-AAC honors. Again, I know the fan base were looking for a wide receiver here, but honestly this was another solid grab by Ran and company. I would expect Whyle to be primarily used as a red zone target and blocking TE since we will be deploying Chig all over the field in the passing game. I do think once he gets acclimated to the speed of the NFL, he will a great compliment to Chig. If you haven't seen any highlights, the kid has a good combination of skill and size.
Check out this Draft Video on Josh Whyle from American Draft Tape
REMEMBER: "You can't always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need." So why not head on over to the Titans Idiot Nation SHOP and get what you need today! Titan Up!
Later in the sixth, we chose again to address the biggest weakness on the team...
Round: 6 / Pick: 186 - Jaelyn Duncan, OL / Maryland
Again, I get it. People were still waiting to see a WR, but at this point in the draft, it's slim pickings when it comes to the position. Now I'm not taking anything away from anyone out there that's draft eligible because let's be real, I'm writing this blog post with cheeto dust on my keyboard enjoying my second beer while they're attempting to land an NFL career. But to be perfectly honest, at this late in the draft, why not go after another solid piece to solve the ever revolving puzzle than a skill position player that may or may not have even made the round of 52? This was another solid move by Ran.
Some folks are already saying that Duncan was the biggest steal in the Titans entire draft. Duncan was a Four Star recruit in the 2018 class on ESPN’s board and the fourth-ranked tackle prospect in the entire nation — behind Bengals 2021 second-round pick Jackson Carman and Nicholas Petit-Frere, a starting rookie tackle for a team you may have heard of, the Tennessee Titans. The Maryland standout originally turned down offers from Ohio State, Florida, LSU, Michigan, and Penn State to sign with his hometown Terrapins. To me that says a lot about this young mans character and dedication. As one of the top highschool recruits in the nation, with a plethora of offers on the table, those are some tough schools to turn down no matter how you spin the story.
#FUNFACT: Jaelyn Duncan and Peter Skoronkski ended up training together at the NFL combine and struck a bond with one another. Could this pay off long term for Tennessee? Let's hope so.
Rounding out the seventh, and just on cue the Tennessee Titans finally selected a WR..
Welp. Here we are. Our last pick in the draft went just as expected, we finally take a receiver. Enter Colton Dowell. He's a hometown kid (Dowell is from Lebanon and played at Wilson Central) that had his childhood dream come true by his home team. It's the kind of story Hallmark movies are made of, but in the case for Dowell and the Tennessee Titans, will it end in heartbreak or happily ever after?
After watching his highlight reel, it's easy to see why the Titans drafted him. Dowell is a 6'3, career 2,000 yard receiver with great hands, leaping ability and extends to make the grabs.
Don't let the small school fool you. I think I seem to remember another unknown WR with the initials TO from a little unknown school in Chatanooga. Things worked out well for him in the end.
Also, let's be real. It's crazy to me that we landed Lionel Ritchie in the seventh. Talk about an absolute steal. "Hello. Is he the one we've been looking for?"
Some folks are already saying that Duncan was the biggest steal in the Titans entire draft. Duncan was a Four Star recruit in the 2018 class on ESPN’s board and the fourth-ranked tackle prospect in the entire nation — behind Bengals 2021 second-round pick Jackson Carman and Nicholas Petit-Frere, a starting rookie tackle for a team you may have heard of, the Tennessee Titans. The Maryland standout originally turned down offers from Ohio State, Florida, LSU, Michigan, and Penn State to sign with his hometown Terrapins. To me that says a lot about this young mans character and dedication. As one of the top highschool recruits in the nation, with a plethora of offers on the table, those are some tough schools to turn down no matter how you spin the story.
#FUNFACT: Jaelyn Duncan and Peter Skoronkski ended up training together at the NFL combine and struck a bond with one another. Could this pay off long term for Tennessee? Let's hope so.
Rounding out the seventh, and just on cue the Tennessee Titans finally selected a WR..
Round: 7 / Pick: 228 - Colton Dowell, WR / UT Martin
Welp. Here we are. Our last pick in the draft went just as expected, we finally take a receiver. Enter Colton Dowell. He's a hometown kid (Dowell is from Lebanon and played at Wilson Central) that had his childhood dream come true by his home team. It's the kind of story Hallmark movies are made of, but in the case for Dowell and the Tennessee Titans, will it end in heartbreak or happily ever after?
@ColtonDowell2 congratulations! You and that magnificent mustache are now a member of the two tone blue. Happy to have you! #TitanUp ⚔️🏈🔥 pic.twitter.com/caQ5TUfb78
— Titans Idiot Nation (@TitansIdiot) April 29, 2023
After watching his highlight reel, it's easy to see why the Titans drafted him. Dowell is a 6'3, career 2,000 yard receiver with great hands, leaping ability and extends to make the grabs.
New Titans WR Colton Dowell at Neyland last season pic.twitter.com/OS9dZzxdIL
— zach ragan (@zachtnt) April 29, 2023
Don't let the small school fool you. I think I seem to remember another unknown WR with the initials TO from a little unknown school in Chatanooga. Things worked out well for him in the end.
Also, let's be real. It's crazy to me that we landed Lionel Ritchie in the seventh. Talk about an absolute steal. "Hello. Is he the one we've been looking for?"
REMEMBER: "You can't always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need." So why not head on over to the Titans Idiot Nation SHOP and get what you need today! Titan Up!