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Ranking top 50 NFL draft targets who can help Tennessee Titans be Super Bowl contenders

nick suss, nashville tennessean
·6 min read

It's time for the Tennessee Titans to get better.

The Titans own the No. 11 and No. 41 picks in the first two rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft, which begins on April 27. After ending last season on a seven-game losing streak to miss the playoffs, the Titans need those picks to address major holes on their roster, particularly weaknesses at offensive line, wide receiver, tight end, linebacker and defensive back.

The 2023 draft is top-loaded with quarterback talent, and the Titans could benefit from snagging a franchise passer. But the real strength of the draft is the depth available in the second round.

With this in mind, here are The Tennessean's rankings of the 50 players in the draft who can most help the Titans build for a brighter future, sorted by how much their presences could transform the Titans today and for years to come.

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Tier 1: Instant franchise changers

  • 1. Alabama QB Bryce Young

  • 2. Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud

The Titans won't be able to draft Young or Stroud without trading up into the top 3, or likely top 2, picks. Either player would give the Titans a chance to contend for years to come, but they'd have to mortgage three draft classes and maybe a current starter or two to get one.

Tier 2: Not-so-instant franchise changers

  • 3. Florida QB Anthony Richardson

Maybe Richardson falls to the Titans at No. 11. Maybe the Titans have to trade up for him. He's got unparalleled speed, size, arm strength and overall talents, but he'll need a year to sit and learn behind Titans QB Ryan Tannehill to develop into a star. Trading up is a huge risk, but Richardson has the chance to be the franchise quarterback the Titans are looking for.

Tier 3: Superstars who the Titans don't exactly need

  • 4. Alabama DE/OLB Will Anderson

  • 5. Georgia DT Jalen Carter

Anderson and Carter might be the two best prospects in the draft regardless of position. They'd instantly be stars with the Titans. If either falls to No. 11, throw a parade. But the need isn't there for the Titans to trade up for these guys, good as they are.

Tier 4: The need matches the talent

  • 6. Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr.

  • 7. Northwestern OL Peter Skoronski

  • 8. Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

  • 9. Georgia OT Broderick Jones

These are the four players the Titans feel likeliest to pick in the first round. Johnson, Skoronski and Jones are all good enough to start on the Titans' offensive line from the get-go. Smith-Njigba is the draft's best receiver. Any of the four will be a good pick.

Tier 5: Maybe it's worth the risk

  • 10. Kentucky QB Will Levis

Levis is the most divisive prospect in the class. At his best, he's a quarterback who reminds scouts of stars like Josh Allen and Matthew Stafford. But he's far too inconsistent. The Titans will need to hone his talents and trust the development process to make him worth picking at No. 11, let alone trading up to draft him.

Tier 6: Great prospects, less great fit

  • 11. Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez

  • 12. Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon

  • 13. Texas RB Bijan Robinson

  • 14. Texas Tech DE/OLB Tyree Wilson

  • 15. Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr.

All of these guys could start for the Titans. If the Titans pick them, the roster improves. But these aren't the kinds of players who are going to fix the Titans' weaknesses, so they'd be very future-forward selections.

Tier 7: First-round reaches and trade-back candidates

  • 16. TCU WR Quentin Johnston

  • 17. Tennessee OL Darnell Wright

  • 18. UNC WR Josh Downs

  • 19. Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt

If the Titans are compelled to reach on a position of need at No. 11, or if they trade back into the mid-to-late first round, these are the best options available. Downs and Hyatt are smaller, stellar options to pair with 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks at receiver, Johnston has prototypical size more like Burks and Wright could start at right tackle or guard.

Tier 8: More trade-back candidates

  • 20. Boston College WR Zay Flowers

  • 21. USC WR Jordan Addison

  • 22. Florida OL O'Cyrus Torrence

  • 23. Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker

It'll be hard to justify picking any of these players at No. 11, but moving back in the first round to pick these players makes sense. Hooker is a safer QB prospect than Levis or Richardson, but probably with a lower ceiling. Flowers and Addison are solid receivers who don't match the identity the Titans tend to covet. Torrence is the best interior lineman prospect in the class but by value, interior linemen usually aren't first-round picks.

Tier 9: Interesting ideas

  • 24. Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer

  • 25. Georgia TE Darnell Washington

  • 26. Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs

The Titans need offensive weapons. Tight end and running back aren't exactly areas of need. But these are really good players who make the Titans offense more flexible.

Tier 10: Good players, probably not future Titans

  • 27. Iowa DL Lukas Van Ness

  • 28. Georgia DE/OLB Nolan Smith

  • 29. Clemson DE/OLB Myles Murphy

  • 30. Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey

  • 31. Mississippi State CB Emmanuel Forbes

  • 32. Maryland CB Deonte Banks

Given where these players are projected to be picked and the Titans' relatively-lower levels of need at their positions, these are players it seems unlikely the Titans will be picking unless the team adds enough extra picks to try to hit on a luxury item.

Tier 11: Hope they fall to No. 41 guys

  • 33. Oklahoma OT Anton Harrison

  • 34. Ohio State OT Dawand Jones

  • 35. Utah TE Dalton Kincaid

  • 36. Minnesota G/C John Michael Schmitz

  • 37. Oregon State TE Luke Musgrave

All five of these prospects could go in the first round. They could also fall far enough into the second round that the Titans could get some value. These aren't guaranteed Week 1 starters, but they're all good enough to contribute as rookies.

Tier 12: Defensive depth pieces

  • 38. Clemson DT Bryan Bresee

  • 39. Alabama DB Brian Branch

  • 40. Iowa State DE/OLB Will McDonald IV

  • 41. Clemson LB Trenton Simpson

  • 42. Kansas State DE/OLB Felix Anudike-Uzomah

  • 43. Arkansas LB Drew Sanders

The Titans figure to be offense-heavy this draft. But if the goal is to strengthen the front seven, these are players who do that. Even Branch, a DB by name who makes plays like a linebacker.

Tier 13: Round 2 reaches and trade-back candidates

  • 44. TCU OL Steve Avila

  • 45. Wisconsin OL Joe Tippmann

  • 46. Iowa TE Sam LaPorta

  • 47. Tennessee WR Cedric Tillman

Like Tier 7, but for the second round. The Titans might be buying too early on these players, but if they're willing to reach or trade back, they help in areas of need.

Tier 14: Big swings on athleticism

  • 48. Michigan DT Mazi Smith

  • 49. Northwestern DE/OLB Adetomiwa Adebawore

  • 50. Michigan CB D.J. Turner

Three of the best athletes in the draft, these are moldable pieces of clay the Titans can find roles for. They're project picks, but if they hit, they can become stars at high-value positions.

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: Beyond Bryce Young, can any draft prospect transform Tennessee Titans?