What 32 mock drafts say about Tennessee Titans pick at No. 11 overall in 2023 NFL Draft
The Tennessee Titans are days away from an impactful first round pick in the NFL Draft.
The Tennessee Titans are at No. 11 overall in the first round the NFL Draft.
It's the highest pick the Titans have had since 2017. And depending on where the top quarterbacks land, the Titans may have a chance to pick one of the top four quarterbacks without moving up via trade.
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young canceled pre-draft visits over the last 10 days, paving the way for Young to be the No. 1 overall pick to Carolina. ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay reported Monday that the Titans have shown interest in Kentucky quarterback Will Levis and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud. McShay also reported that the Titans have been among "the most active teams" searching for a draft-night trade, either up or down the board.
Here's what the latest mock drafts say about the No. 11 pick:
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Tennessee Titans NFL mock draft tracker: What will the Titans do at No. 11 overall?
Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Nate Davis, USATODAY.com: "Richardson could benefit from breaking in behind Tannehill while maybe seeing the field in specially designed packages ... given the reasonable assumption the 21-year-old won't be ready to start immediately."
Eric Edholm, NFL.com: "My guess is the Titans like Richardson better than the Texans do, and this allows Tennessee to keep Ryan Tannehill around for one more year while the raw rookie develops. The Malik Willis experience could give Titans brass pause, but this is a different caliber talent here."
Sam Monson and Steve Palazzolo, PFF.com: "High-end play wins Super Bowls, and no one has a higher end in this class than Richardson. Now, what are the chances he reaches that or even comes close?"
Jason McIntyre, FOXSports.com: "... The potential is monumental, and Tennessee would be lucky to get him here."
WalterFootball.com: "The Titans have a new general manager and are clearly rebuilding. New regimes mean new quarterbacks, of course, so the Titans are in play to trade up a bit to draft Anthony Richardson."
Scott Smith, 4for4: "... With Ryan Tannehill in his final year and Malik Willis yet to show promise, the Titans future at QB is a bit muddied."
Andrew Erickson, FantasyPros: "... The Titans were on board with trading up for Malik Willis last season in the 3rd round, so there’s a sense in the building that quarterback is an area of need – especially with Ryan Tannehill on the last year of his contract."
C.J Stroud, QB, Ohio State
Peter King, NBCSports.com (in a trade from No. 11 to No. 3 overall): "... Coach Mike Vrabel is tight with Ohio State coach Ryan Day. Vrabel will get the real about Stroud from Day, and I think that real will be mostly positive. And Vrabel will be a good coach for Stroud. That plus the fact that Ryan Tannehill would be able to give Stroud time to adjust to the pro game."
Jaime Eisner, The Draft Network: "... When push comes to shove, I can see Mike Vrabel — who has as much power as he’s ever had in the organization — going back to his Ohio State roots to find out anything and everything he needs to know about Stroud to feel comfortable enough making this pick to nab his quarterback of the future."
Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Nick Suss, Tennessean.com: "It's the pick no one seems to want. But for a team like the Titans that has a veteran QB in place for one year and the chance to groom Levis behind him, it's worth the risk if you don't have to trade up. At his best, Levis plays like a more athletic version of Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford. His best isn't on display nearly enough to justify handing him the keys to a team with playoff aspirations as a rookie, but with good coaching, there's hope he can develop as a pro similarly to how Josh Allen did with the Buffalo Bills."
Dane Brugler, The Athletic: "In my opinion, the Titans should focus on building their offensive line and adding playmakers before they chase a young quarterback. But if the Titans have a high grade on Levis and selecting him doesn’t require a trade up, this would be a fit with interesting potential."
Matt Miller, ESPN.com: "... Levis would be a fantastic play for Tennessee given his arm strength, mobility and toughness in the pocket."
Maurice Jones-Drew, NFL.com: "Tennessee seems to be already looking past 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis as Ryan Tannehill's eventual successor. Levis gives them a confident, big-armed quarterback who has the luxury of learning for a year or two before taking over the offense."
Mark Schofield, SBNation.com: "... The Titans offense under Tannehill has been at its best in the passing game working off of play-action, and Levis would make a smooth transition to such a system given the offenses he played in the past two seasons."
Dalton Miller, Pro Football Network: "... While almost no comp is perfect, Will Levis has been compared to Tannehill throughout the draft process. Levis’ best fit is in a play-action-heavy passing attack that likes to attack the middle of the field behind linebackers and underneath safeties."
Ian Valentino, Pro Football Network: "... The Titans have glaring needs across their roster, but the chance to develop Will Levis will be too tempting to pass up. Levis needs mechanical work but is much like Tannehill was as a prospect, boasting great tools."
Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
Peter Schrager, NFL.com: "... But if the Titans aim to land one at their current draft slot, I’m leaning toward Hooker being their choice over Will Levis, despite Hooker being a 25-year-old coming off a torn ACL."
Natalie Miller, Draft Wire: "The Titans have run their course with current quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and likely want to move forward with a new quarterback. "
Jaxson Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
The Seattle Times: "The Titans need to think about finding Ryan Tannehill’s replacement, but with Levis gone, they’ll go instead for a dynamic target for Tannehill to throw to."
Chris Emma, Audacy.com: "... But Tennessee needs weapons if Ryan Tannehill is returning as the starter. In Smith-Njigba, the Titans get the top wide receiver on the board."
Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern
Ryan Wilson, CBSSports.com: "The Titans added Andre Dillard and Daniel Brunskill in free agency to bolster the O-line but there's still room for improvement."
Cody Benjamin, CBSSports.com: "... Skoronski could line up at either tackle or guard as Mike Vrabel doubles down on the run-first approach."
Dan Roche, NBC Sports Philadelphia: "The Titans bolster their O-line with the Big Ten’s top offensive lineman, and probably the most polished offensive line prospect in the draft."
Mike Moraitis, Titans Wire: "... The Titans have whiffed on offensive lineman in recent years, but Skoronski gives them two avenues to pan out, making him a safer pick than most."
Scott Carasik, FanSided: ".. Skoronski played left tackle in college but projects better to left guard if the Titans take him."
Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State
Jeff Risdon, DraftWire: "There was almost zero consideration given to any position but OL here."
Danny Kelly, The Ringer: "The Titans are in a soft rebuild and do the reasonable thing here, grabbing a future cornerstone left tackle in Johnson."
Tommy Garrett, Pro Football Network: "... The addition of Andre Dillard will allow the Titans to get Johnson up to speed and not force him on the blind side too soon."
Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News: "... This helps turn over the offensive line, though, and leaves the door open to Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker in round two if he’s there or to a 2024 NFL Draft QB selection in a stronger class."
Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
Mike Renner, PFF.com: "Smith is a culture fit for Mike Vrabel’s defense due to his no-nonsense physical play style despite being undersized."
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What mock drafts say about Tennessee Titans first pick in 2023 NFL Draft
