ESPN analyst Todd McShay projects Tennessee Titans' first 2 picks in 2023 NFL Draft
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ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay's new projections have the Tennessee Titans using their first two draft picks to take his first receiver and first linebacker off the board.
In McShay's latest mock draft, he has the Titans using the No. 11 pick in the first round to pick Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and then using the No. 41 pick in the second round to snag Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders. He has the Titans drafting Smith-Njigba while popular Titans mock draft targets such as Kentucky quarterback Will Levis and Ohio State tackle Paris Johnson Jr., are still on the board and advocates the Titans drafting Sanders over a long list of second round offensive linemen.
McShay describes Smith-Njigba as a good route runner with soft hands and high-end acceleration. Smith-Njigba battled a hamstring injury in 2022 but was dynamic in 2021 when he caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns despite playing alongside 2022 first round picks Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, both of whom exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in their NFL rookie seasons.
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On Sanders, McShay raves about his versatility, instincts and burst as a do-it-all linebacker. Sanders transferred from Alabama to Arkansas and immediately proved his value to the Razorbacks, making 111 tackles with 9.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss in 2022.
In previous mock drafts, McShay projected the Titans to use their first round pick on an offensive lineman, suggesting Johnson as a good fit at No. 11.
The 2023 NFL Draft begins on April 27.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: ESPN's Todd McShay projects Tennessee Titans' first 2 NFL draft picks
