Three Takeaways From This Draft For The Titans

While there lots of things could be taken away from this draft for the Tennessee Titans, here are my three biggest.

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

NASHVILLE - As we wrap up the 2023 NFL Draft for the Tennessee Titans, several things stood out from last weekend's three-day marathon. There are the obvious ones like the team failing to draft a receiver before the final round or they spent a 2024 third-rounder to trade up for Will Levis. 

Those would be easy, and I don't want to be too easy or predictable, so here are my three biggest takeaways from what we witnessed. 

1) OLine Was A Priority: It was talked about heavily during the lead-up to the draft that the Tennessee Titans desperately needed to get better on their offensive line, and they seemingly did that with the addition of two big, young linemen in Peter Skoronski, and Jaelyn Duncan. 

Both guys are big, intense, physical, and intimidating type personalities on the field. Skoronski is 6-foot-4 and 313 pounds, while Duncan is a mere 6-foot-6 and 306 pounds. Both played left tackle in college but said they are willing to play wherever needed in the NFL. 

With the addition of Andre Dillard and Daniel Brunskill in free agency and the return of Nicholas Petite-Frere, Corey Levin, and Aaron Brewer, among others, the Titans have a variety of pieces with which to work in building a better line than the one that allowed 49 sacks a season ago.  

2) Kevin Byard Will Be A Titan In 2023: This is short, sweet, and concise. Kevin Byard isn't going anywhere. If he were, it seems logical that the Titans would have looked to add his replacement or at least a depth piece in the draft. That didn't happen, and Byard isn't leaving, at least not in 2023. 

3) The Titans Went Looking For Replacement And Found Them: This ties into the Byard thought in that Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry are both in the final season of their contracts with the team. Will Levis and Tyjae Spears were drafted to replace those two in 2024. Granted, those weren't sexy picks, but both were great values where they were selected, and both will likely get their feet wet in the NFL waters in 2023, preparing them to step into more prominent roles- a likely starting one for Levis- in 2024.  

I fully believe this was the team's plan to find those replacements now and prepare for the 2024 season, where the team will be loaded with cap space to spend to upgrade any needs or fill any holes in the roster. This draft wasn't about the coming season but the start of building beyond this season.   

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