36 offensive prospects for Tennessee Titans to watch at this week's NFL draft combine
The Tennessee Titans have needs just about everywhere, especially on offense, ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, making this week's combine workouts particularly interesting.
First-year coach Brian Callahan hadn't assembled his staff yet for the Senior Bowl, making the combine the first large-scale opportunity for the Titans' new coaches to articulate specifically what kind of players they're looking for to the team's scouts and front office personnel. This week in Indianapolis, that means finding offensive players that fit Callahan's vision on the perimeter, in the trenches and in areas where depth is key.
Here's a position-by-position breakdown of 36 offensive players the Titans should be watching at this week's NFL draft combine.
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Quarterback
Unlike last year, the Titans don't need to look for an early-round quarterback in 2024. But depending on what the new staff decides to do with 2022 draft pick Malik Willis, the Titans could be in the market for a late-round backup. Prospects like Notre Dame's Sam Hartman, Western Kentucky's Austin Reed and Kentucky's Devin Leary all played six years of college football and come into the league with the extra polish that comes from that, meriting some Day 3 consideration for the Titans as a lower-risk, lower-ceiling backup plan behind Will Levis.
Running back
This year's running back class isn't particularly strong at the top, but with the Titans likely in the market for a new big back, the late rounds could be an interesting place to look. Kentucky's Ray Davis, Washington's Dillon Johnson and Troy's Kimani Vidal are Day 3 prospects to pay attention to, but with the way running backs could fall in this draft, it's also worth looking at guys like Wisconsin's Braelon Allen and Florida State's Trey Benson.
Wide receiver
The Titans need to do their diligence on all the first-round receivers. Yes, even Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., even if the expectation is there's no way he falls to No. 7. Beyond Harrison, the Titans could be in position to snag LSU's Malik Nabers or Washington's Rome Odunze, or be willing to reach a little bit on LSU's Brian Thomas Jr., Florida State's Keon Coleman or Texas' Adonai Mitchell if they rise up the boards with impressive combine workouts.
Texas' Xavier Worthy, South Carolina's Xavier Legette, North Carolina's Tez Walker, Michigan's Roman Wilson and Washington's Ja'Lynn Polk all make sense as second-round targets to pay attention to, as do mid-to-late round prospects like Arizona's Jacob Cowing, Texas A&M's Ainias Smith and Tulane's Jha'Quan Jackson who could help more as smaller, shiftier slot types.
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Tight end
The Titans probably shouldn't spend too much time looking at tight ends ... unless that tight end is Brock Bowers. The Georgia product and projected first-round pick has already expressed interest in playing for the Titans. He's a multi-use super tool whom the Titans need to consider for his unique talents. But after him, it's hard to see the Titans gaining much from adding a mid-round tight end for the third straight draft.
Offensive tackle
Notre Dame's Joe Alt and Penn State's Olu Fashanu are the two most popular Titans targets in mock drafts. They're cornerstone-type left tackles who would be immediate upgrades for the Titans at arguably the second-most important position on the field.
Beyond Alt and Fashanu, though, the Titans could consider someone like Alabama's JC Latham or Georgia's Amarius Mims as a trade-back opportunity later in the first round, players like BYU's Kingsley Suamataia and Houston's Patrick Paul in the second round or project players like Missouri's Javon Foster or South Dakota State's Garret Greenfield in the later rounds.
Guard and center
The Titans probably would need some good luck for Oregon's Jackson Powers-Johnson or Duke's Graham Barton to fall to their pick in the second round. The late rounds should be stuffed with interior offensive linemen, though, and the Titans should watch prospects like Utah's Sataoa Laumea, Florida's Kingsley Eguakun and Michigan's Trevor Keegan for those rounds.
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Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 36 offensive players Titans should be watching at NFL draft combine