Guidelines
- This is a “what I would do” mock, not a predictive one. I don’t have sources.
- No trades. A lot of people (correctly) want the Titans to trade out of the first round, but I don’t think very many teams will be wanting to trade up this year.
- I’m working under the assumption that Tennessee re-signs Harold Landry and Ben Jones, and cuts Rodger Saffold.
- I’m using this mock draft simulator.
Round 1, Pick 26: Nakobe Dean – LB, Georgia
Just kidding.
Round 1, Pick 26: Chris Olave – WR, Ohio State
Height: 6’1
Weight: 188
Year: SR
Chris Olave is a polished route runner, who I believe can contribute to the Titans’ offense immediately. His ability to throttle his hips on a dime makes him extremely effective running curls and comebacks. He does a good job varying his speed mid-route, and subtly adjusting his path to attack the defenders’ leverage. He’s very intentional with his route breaks, consistently creating favorable passing windows and shielding the ball away from the defense.
His foot quickness off the line is superb, with very few wasted steps, although he tends to play too upright against press coverage. This exposes his chest to the jam, which he doesn’t always have the play strength to overcome. Olave has natural hands and ball-tracking ability, but struggles dealing with physicality at the catch point.
I think Olave’s finesse play style would be a nice complement to AJ Brown’s physicality.
Round 3, Pick 90: Luke Goedeke – OL, Central Michigan
Height: 6’4
Weight: 318
Year: JR
Goedeke played right tackle in college, and I think he could play guard or tackle in the NFL. He allowed just 7 pressures on 425 pass blocking snaps, and earned a 92.2 PFF Grade. I actually like Goedeke more than Central Michigan’s left tackle, Bernhard Raimann, who is expected to be a 1st round selection.
Goedeke’s hip fluidity is evident in all aspects of his game. There’s absolutely zero waist-bend in his pass blocking reps; he’s flexible and nimble enough to mirror his base to the speed rush. As a run blocker, he has the athleticism to lock his hips to his target and sustain blocks.
His hand placement is automatic; watch the below cutup and pay attention to how mechanical he is establishing tight elbows and hands under the armpit. Every single run blocking rep on his tape is exactly like that, and it’s rare for a college player to be so consistent with his technique.
His arm length of 33 1/8″ is below average, but narrowly exceeds my tackle cutoff of 33″. I could definitely see length being an issue at the next level, but I like Goedeke just as much as a guard prospect, and Tennessee needs a new LG.
Round 4, Pick 130: Kellen Diesch – OT, Arizona State
Height: 6’7
Weight: 300
Year: RS SR
Kellen Diesch is a lean tackle prospect with the skillset and experience to play in a wide-zone scheme like Tennessee’s. Add 15 lbs to his frame, and I believe he’s a 2nd round pick, but at his current weight he can’t play in the NFL. This is a “lottery ticket” selection; if the Titans can improve his play strength, they’d be stealing a long-term left tackle in the 4th round.
Round 4, Pick 143: Obinna Eze – OT, TCU
Height: 6’8
Weight: 334
Year: SR
I’m doubling down on potential here and throwing another dart at a tackle prospect with high-end traits.
Round 5, Pick 169: Chigoziem Okonkwo – TE, Maryland
Chigo (please make this nickname catch on, I can already tell I’m never going to be able to spell his name) fits the Jonnu Smith/MyCole Pruitt mould of H-Back/tight end hybrid, with YAC skills and tenacity as a blocker. Okonkwo constantly plays bigger than his size, and had multiple legitimate wins over Aidan Hutchinson. He isn’t big enough to contribute on Day 1, but he could absolutely carve out a significant role once he develops. When drafting tight ends, I think it’s smart to spend 3rd-6th round picks on prospects with high-end athletic traits.
Round 6, Pick 203: Austin Allen – TE, Nebraska
I was unaware they made tight ends this big, but I will take one please.
Round 6, Pick 219: Decobie Durant – CB, South Carolina State
Height: 5’11
Weight: 180
Year: SR
Decobie Durant is an undersized CB with outstanding ball production. Over his four year career, he recorded 10 interceptions and 26 pass breakups, and allowed just 65 receptions on 160 targets (40.6%.) He appears to have above average speed and quickness on tape, but the combine will be very important for his draft stock.
