Did the Tennessee Titans draft for the future or did they just stock up on positions that are already covered? How will it affect the Colts?
The Tennessee Titans made one of the more dramatic moves in the first round of the NFL draft by trading star wide receiver A.J. Brown and left many wondering why.
The Titans sent AJ packing for the 18th and 101st overall picks to the Philadelphia Eagles. Was this a move to prepare for the future? AJ was requesting a hefty contract extension since he was entering his last year on his rookie contract which was to pay him only $4 million.
However, Tennessee decided to move on and focused on drafting Brown’s replacement.
Tennessee Titans draft selections
The Titans started off rocky after the trade that landed them Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks. Obviously, the pick for Burks made sense and later they drafted Kyle Philips to pair with both Burks and Robert Woods.
What was interesting was drafting Liberty quarterback Malik Willis, Michigan running back Hassan Haskins, and Maryland tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo. Additionally, they drafted a new tackle and some defenders as well.
Meet your 2022 #Titans Draft Class ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/Xit2U6ZLo6
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 30, 2022
Was this a draft that was truly preparing for the future for Tennessee? Drafting Okonkwo did make sense as the tight end position was not solidified even after signing Austin Hooper.
Now that Willis is the new pick for the Titans, it appears that Ryan Tannehill’s clock is expiring soon. Willis will take some time to get ready, but the Titans could sit him this year similar to what the Chiefs did with Patrick Mahomes.
All signs are leading towards Derrick Henry recovering from his foot injury and being just as strong as ever. However, the lifespan of a hard-hitting running back is often very short. The Titans took Haskins to be the backup, who could potentially take over when Henry’s shelf life has expired (if that were to happen within the next two years).
How do they stack up against Colts and AFC South?
Last year was one of the Titans’ best years, even with all of the injuries. They finished first in the entire AFC and were awarded the first-round bye in the playoffs.
The AFC is stacked this year, and the Titans might not even be the best team in the AFC South, let alone the entire AFC. With the way the Indianapolis Colts drafted, they made their case to be the best in the South.
It looks like Tennessee drafted for future years and was not focused on right now. For the last few years, they’ve been very focused on immediate success. Are they moving to a retooling season or a rebuilding season?
With the moves that the Colts have made this offseason, it looks like they should be the front-runner to win the division and finally unseat King Henry and the Tennessee Titans.
I would expect the Titans to fall to second, though. It is the AFC South after all and there are teams such as the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars to compete with.
Ultimately, I think the Titans miss the playoffs this year. The conference is stacked and teams got better to win right now. The Titans did not.
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