2024 NFL Draft: Round 1 Scenarios for the Tennessee Titans

What will the Tennessee Titans do with the No. 7 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft? Selecting Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt is the most likely scenario, but there are a few other options available to general manager Ran Carthon and coach Brian Callahan.

Nov 27, 2021; Stanford, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Joe Alt (76) / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

NASHVILLE — The most anticipated event of the NFL offseason has finally arrived. The 2024 NFL Draft begins on Thursday night and Tennessee Titans fans will be watching closely to see what the franchise does with the No. 7 overall pick.

Entering this year's draft, general manager Ran Carthon and new coach Brian Callahan have plenty of areas to address. Most notably, the Titans will be in the market for a left tackle, wide receiver, defensive back, and defensive end.

There's a reason they're picking No. 7, right?

Here are a few potential plots for Titans fans to follow. The NFL Draft begins at 7 p.m. CT.

The obvious scenario

Most mock drafts have the Titans selecting Notre Dame All-American left tackle Joe Alt with the No. 7 pick. That's been the popular selection throughout the offseason because of Tennessee's needs along the offensive line.

Experiments with Andre Dillard and Jaelyn Duncan failed at left tackle last season. That tandem surrendered 29 sacks. Dillard, a former No. 1 pick by Philadelphia, was released. With Alt, the belief is that Tennessee would have an immediate starter at the position, providing better protection for quarterback Will Levis.

Several mock drafts, including ESPN and Pro Football Focus, believe Alt is the top option for the Titans at No. 7.

A different offensive tackle?

If, by some chance, Alt is unavailable at No. 7, where would Tennessee go next? If the team still wants to address left tackle, the best fit might be Penn State's Olu Fashanu.

Last season, Fashanu was an All-American with the Nittany Lions and also has the potential to be a Day 1 starter in Nashville. If Alt isn't the selection at No. 7, Fashanu makes the most sense.

The wide receiver route

Tennessee is also in need of more playmakers at wide receiver. There's a good chance that Carthon and Callahan wait until a later round to make that pick, but if one of the top three receivers is still available at No. 7, we could see the Titans change their plans on the fly.

DeAndre Hopkins was the only receiver to finish last season with over 1,000 yards. The Titans added a second 1,000-yard receiver earlier in the offseason, signing free agent Calvin Ridley to a four-year $92 million deal.

That signing gives Tennessee some cushion in terms of when it needs to select a receiver. But if Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State), Malik Nabers (LSU) or Rome Odunze (Washington) are still on the board, the Titans might give their first-round pick a little more thought.

The unlikely yet possible scenario

Could the Titans take Georgia All-American tight end Brock Bowers, who is viewed as a generational talent at the position and could be a game-changing prospect for the team that selects him.

Tennessee isn't desperate for a tight end, but Bowers has said that he'd like to play for the organization. That has to be an appealing quality for Carthon and Callahan, right?

Bowers to Tennessee feels unlikely. But if the Titans feel like he's the best player available — and that there's still a great option at left tackle in the second round — things could get interesting.

Trading back in Round 1

It's no secret that the Titans need to bulk up the roster with talent and speed. That was something Carthon harped on during the NFL Scouting Combine back in March. So, it's possible that Tennessee could be looking for a trading partner.

Currently, the Titans don't have a third-round pick. Is it possible they'd be willing to trade down to acquire more draft assets? With Bill Callahan coaching the offensive line, Tennessee feels confident in his ability to develop players in the trenches.

Maybe Tennessee trades back, picks up a left tackle later in the first round — Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma), Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State) or JC Latham (Alabama) would fit the bill — to get more selections in this year's draft.

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