Molden Follows Father's Footsteps to NFL

The Tennessee Titans' second third-round pick is the son of a 1996 first-round draft pick who lasted eight years in the league.

The Tennessee Titans got a second-generation NFL player with their second pick in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.

With pick No. 100, Tennessee selected Elijah Molden, a defensive back out of the University of Washington. He is the son of Alex Molden, the former Oregon Duck standout defensive back and No. 11 overall pick in the 1996 NFL draft.

“Ever since I can remember, I felt called to play. And that is because of my dad. My first memories are him getting interceptions and me going into the locker room with his teammates,” Molden said. “It’s finally here. And it’s a moment when I knew all along that I’d get here. It was just a matter of when and what obstacles I had to overcome.”

Football is in Molden’s DNA. His father played eight years in the NFL, racking up 298 career tackles. He also snagged 12 career interceptions and started 57 of 98 games. And with his father’s NFL experience, he proved to be an extremely valuable resource for Molden as he prepped for his NFL draft moment.

“He is someone that knows what I am thinking, even before I say it,” Molden said. “He is always there to give me nuggets of wisdom and words of encouragement. We have a special bond, especially when it comes to football.

“... Throughout my journey with football, he’s always been that person in my ear giving me feedback and keeping me going.”

Even with his father’s help, Molden wants to make sure that the sequel is better than the original when it comes to productions on the field.

“I feel like I am just a football player,” he said. “In this league, you need to be able to have good change of direction and good speed, and I feel like I have both of those two. Along with my skills at defensive back.”

What Molden brings to the Titans secondary is a tough-minded approach and a guy who is ready to step up to any challenge.

Prior to Tennessee selecting him, he said that he studied the defense with the idea that he might play in it. And he also said that he sees how he and the Titans’ defensive personalities mix well together.

What helps when it comes to system fit is that at Washington, he was a player who lined up at multiple spots in the secondary.

That means he potentially could help the Titans – who have overhauled their pass defense this offseason – in a number of ways.

“He had prepared for the interview by watching our football team,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “He spoke highly of how we played and the effort and finish which we play with. You know, this was an exciting pick for [general manager] Jon [Robinson] and I and everybody involved with our organization. … This is going to be a fun guy to coach.”

And a guy who – thanks to his dad – knows exactly what is expected of a professional football player.

“With him, it’s just the work ethic and the approach to the game and really everything in life,” Molden said. “I take pride in every day, going about my day with intent and passion. And that is easy to do when you love a game, or love something like that the way I love football.

“… I am just ready to learn the playbook completely and make an impact wherever that is.”