Mel Kiper Jr. has new NFL Draft mock for Tennessee Titans — and it's not an O-lineman
For the first time in three mock drafts this offseason, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., doesn't have the Tennessee Titans picking an offensive tackle at No. 11.
In Kiper's latest mock draft, he has the Titans picking Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson at No. 11. In previous projections, Kiper had the Titans selecting Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. in the first round. But in his first mock draft since the Carolina Panthers traded for the No. 1 pick and since NFL free agency opened up, Kiper has Johnson going No. 9 to the Chicago Bears and Northwestern's Peter Skoronski going No. 10 to the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving the Titans without a logical offensive lineman to pick.
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Instead, he forecasts the Titans go for Wilson, a 6-foot-6, 271-pound edge defender who's missed most of the pre-draft season with a broken foot but was electric when he was on the field over the last two seasons. He's logged 14 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss since 2021. Kiper profiles Wilson as an inconsistent player who looks like a future star when he flashes his best stuff but needs to show it on an every-down basis.
The Titans released edge rusher Bud Dupree this offseason and lost defensive end DeMarcus Walker to the Bears in free agency. As a counter measure, they signed former Jacksonville Jaguars outside linebacker Arden Key to essentially fill both roles.
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: In Mel Kiper Jr. NFL mock draft, Tennessee Titans don't go O-line
