Why it's Olu Fashanu over Joe Alt in my first Tennessee Titans mock draft of 2024
Olu Fashanu or Joe Alt?
It's a question that figures to loom large over every discussion about the Tennessee Titans heading into the 2024 NFL Draft. Picking No. 7 overall in the first round, general manager Ran Carthon will be in position to snag a franchise left tackle for a team that needs offensive line help more than any team in the league. Fashanu and Alt are game-changing talents who dominated college opponents and, by a twist of fate, the Titans could very easily find themselves in a scenario where both top-five talents fall to No. 7.
In The Tennessean's first 2024 Titans mock draft of the offseason, this very scenario presented itself, with Fashanu being chosen over Alt. Let's break down how this is possible, why Fashanu is the pick and what the complications might be.
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Everything starts with the Chicago Bears at No. 1. The decision they make about whether to continue with QB Justin Fields or use the No. 1 pick on a quarterback changes everything. If the Bears trade out of No. 1, it decreases the likelihood of three teams picking QBs in the top six. Which is what the Titans should be rooting for.
The Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers and New York Giants have picks Nos. 4-6. None of those teams need left tackles. The Bears, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots, picking Nos. 1-3, all might be in need of an OT by draft night. So, if all three go quarterback, the Titans should be able to get their guy. If any of those teams don't, the Titans might have a little competition at the top.
Why Olu Fashanu over Joe Alt in our Titans mock draft?
Alt is about as polished as offensive tackle prospects come. At 6-foot-8, he has impeccable run blocking technique and was a stone wall last season in pass protection. He makes the Titans better as a Day 1 starter no doubt.
Fashanu, a Penn State offensive tackle, is almost certainly a rawer product as a run blocker and relies more on natural strength and athleticism as a pass protector than Alt, who played offensive tackle at Notre Dame. This isn't to say Fashanu doesn't have good technique. His pass blocking technique is equal to or greater than Alt's. And he's a little more compact, making it easier for him to keep defenders close and play with low pad level.
The real separator is Fashanu's room to grow. Alt feels like the kind of player the Titans would've picked under Mike Vrabel's regime, someone who does everything well and whose polish is an engine for the run game. Fashanu is a little more modern as a prospect, someone who with the right coaching can develop into an All-Pro-caliber pass protector to pair with 2023 first-round pick Peter Skoronski on the left side and make things work in the run game.
What could be the problem?
Trades can wreak havoc on the top 10 before the draft even starts. If only Alt or Fashanu is available, the Titans shouldn't feel bad about grabbing either. And there's always room for the Titans' new coaching staff to deem another need more pressing than offensive line, or for the Titans to address left tackle in free agency.
In any of those cases, the Titans could be in the market for a receiver, a pass rusher, a cornerback or a tight end. But with three months remaining until draft night, grabbing an offensive tackle feels like the safest bet, and Fashanu feels like the highest-upside bet of the two great options.
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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: Titans NFL mock draft 2024: Why Tennessee gets Olu Fashanu over Joe Alt