Titans looking to trade down?

[Luke]

Randy Mueller’s top ten players regardless of position…

I guess the 6’8” doesn’t bother him too much!

Here’s his commentary on his top ten.

“As we approach the 2024 NFL Draft, things are coming into focus from 30,000 feet and the worm’s-eye view. Here are a few thoughts on how things are shaping up for decision-makers around the league.

This draft offers plenty of options for teams with offensive needs. The defensive players at the top of this year’s pool are so limited in quality and quantity that a defensive player might not be taken in the top 10. I have only one on my list — it is otherwise dominated by quarterbacks, offensive tackles and wide receivers.

1. Caleb Williams, QB, USC​

For my money, he is the prize of the ball. He’s talented and capable of wowing evaluators at the premium position in the game. He’s an easy one to evaluate and value, two entirely different things. His selection makes sense on all fronts. Some have tried to pick his intangibles apart, but as I told some NFL scouts the other day, this talent level is rare and hard to find. Let’s not talk ourselves out of what we see on tape.

2. Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame​

I’m not looking for 6-foot-8 tackles, but this guy doesn’t play like a 6-foot-8 tackle. As a left tackle, he can bend and play with balance, and he is athletic enough to stay connected and off the ground — as a pass protector and in the run game, on the line of scrimmage and at the second level. Mike McGlinchey is another tall Notre Dame tackle who struggled at times with pad level because bending and engaging one’s lower-body strength is much harder for tall, linear frames. But Alt plays like he’s 6-5 and has enough anchor and strength in his base to be a more effective NFL player.

Brugler has Alt in his elite “purple chip” category.

This is the Brugler's "Jake Matthews in Nate Solders body" comp.
Poles would run to the podium himself if Alt is there at 9.

 

[playthrough2001]

What’s this guy’s agenda?

How Titans have a connection to Notre Dame OT Joe Alt

As it turns out, the Titans have a minor connection to Notre Dame OT Joe Alt through OL coach Bill Callahan.

titanswire.usatoday.com

From the link:

“The Titans have a gaping hole at left tackle and Alt is the top blindside protector in the class, so the marriage makes plenty of sense. Tennessee has expressed interest, as well, hosting Alt for a top-30 visit in Nashville”

@Zvbxrpl

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

Wow, really?

The NFL Network has experts on every day including several ex-GMs. I haven’t heard a single one suggest he’s not a fantastic prospect and OT1.

Where are you reading this?

Just interested…

This was something I watched yesterday but I watch an awful lot of stuff so this was just one thing. Watched another with Mike Martz talking about him but everyone here reflexively shits on anything he says so I hate even bringing it up.

I’m not suggesting he’s a bad prospect or anything. He will be a high first round pick. But fans seem to have him as this universal all world prospect like a MHJ. I don’t think he’s in that group is all I’m saying. NFL.com doesn’t even have him as their top OT. I think he could be OT1 but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he’s OT2 is all.

 

[playthrough2001]

This was something I watched yesterday but I watch an awful lot of stuff so this was just one thing. Watched another with Mike Martz talking about him but everyone here reflexively shits on anything he says so I hate even bringing it up.

I’m not suggesting he’s a bad prospect or anything. He will be a high first round pick. But fans seem to have him as this universal all world prospect like a MHJ. I don’t think he’s in that group is all I’m saying. NFL.com doesn’t even have him as their top OT.

Cosell is solid. I’ll take a look. Thanks.

 

[DanielCCSBears]

The Titans primary need in this year’s draft appears to be LT and they would likely miss out on a shot at Notre Dame’s John Alt if they did move down very far; however, OT also appears to be one of the 2024 draft’s strongest positions and Tennessee would have options at the position pretty much right thru the first round.


@DanielCCSBears thoughts?

We went over this already bud. But let me help you. It's an extraordinarily bad draft at every position but QB and WR compared to previous years. There is one top offensive tackle prospect this year as compared to the four from last year.

There's not top level edge prospect as there was last year.

There's not one top level DT prospect like there was last year.

There's no linebackers no safeties and no CBs who project at a high level like Sauce Gardner or Jamal Adams did.

Since there aren't any high level prospects at those positions the offensive tackle class ranks higher than the lack of talent at the other positions. Therefore out of a sheer numbers game and the fact that the NFL Draft is happening these players will be drafted.

However if this talent in this draft was in last year's draft, the only player who would be a threat to go in the first round would be Alt. The rest of the offensive tackle prospects would be behind every other OT who went in round one from a year ago.

 

[Luke]

This was something I watched yesterday but I watch an awful lot of stuff so this was just one thing. Watched another with Mike Martz talking about him but everyone here reflexively shits on anything he says so I hate even bringing it up.

I’m not suggesting he’s a bad prospect or anything. He will be a high first round pick. But fans seem to have him as this universal all world prospect like a MHJ. I don’t think he’s in that group is all I’m saying. NFL.com doesn’t even have him as their top OT. I think he could be OT1 but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he’s OT2 is all.

IMO, Zierlein is a terrible prognosticator to represent NFL.com.

 

[alswank87]

How people still believe 3 WRs won't go before 8 is beyond me.

WR isn’t as important of a position as Oline, DLine, or QB. There’s a reason the best WRs in the league haven’t won titles since Jerry Rice. Guys like Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Smith, Chad Johnson, etc haven’t won and there’s tons of other greats that didn’t as well. For that reason, I could see teams opt for QB, OT, or DE at the top of the first. Having said that, I wouldn’t be surprised if the big three WRs are gone by 9.

 

[DefNextYear]

I don't know why its such a foregone conclusion the Titans are going Alt. Petit-Frere was above average at LT as a rookie in 2022, got hurt and only played in 3 games (117 total snaps) in 2023 because of a shoulder injury and season-ending surgery, and people are looking at the singular game where he had a tough time (injured in the 1st quarter, mind you) against TJ Watt (2 sacks, 2 pressures given up). Jaelyn Duncan looked lost at LT taking over, as did Andre Dillard, so naturally I can understand that if you examine Tennessee from a distance, doing the bare minimum with no additional research as most lazy fans/pundits would, I can see why one would say LT was a problem.

I LOL when the same lazy people, to fit their preferred Mock Draft scenario--just put a guy on a team so the bears/whomever their team is can get closer to the guy said poster wants them to take because nobody wants to look at what's best for Tennessee, just what checks a box. Tennessee was middle-of-the-pack in 2022 for OL (ranked 15-18 depending on what site you look up for OL rankings), and last year was bottom 3, by the same standard.

I wonder if their starting LT getting hurt (along with being banned 6 games for violating gambling policy), and only playing 117 snaps in 3 games had ANYTHING to do with that...I also haven't read anything to the effect that NPF won't be the same when he's healthy (if there's an issue and it's rotator-cuff specific then its a different discussion, but we've heard nothing that NPF has a rotator cuff injury). They have Radunz, Skoronski, NPF, (all three guys drafted in early rounds over the past 3 years) and now just bought Lloyd Cushenberry.

Maybe them wanting to trade down is genuine, and they're banking on a QB falling. Although candidly, part of me wants to see them take a WR to spite the mock draft arteests who long for Odunze, Nabors, or MHJ. The same idiot fans saying 'draft a WR early/trade up for one in the top 10' will then use their own logic against them, saying 'But they have Ridley and Hopkins!' The same way the bears have DJ Moore and Keenan Allen blocking a potential top 10 draft pick, but foolish logic won't be a 2-way street, so it only makes sense for the bears to do that for a young QB, not someone else with a much older WR duo.

Alt is by the consensus pick for the Titans... so everyone would have to be thinking for themselves and screwing the Titans in your scenario. The link is below. And that's not to say he's a lock to go there. I only share that to say it's not like there's just some small group of people with an agenda. 78% of all aggregated mocks have Alt going to the Titans. It's the 4th highest percentage in the draft after: Caleb to the Bears, MHJ to the Cardinals, Tuner to the Falcons. And that's only changed in the past week. If you look 2 weeks out... Alt moves ahead of Turner in percentage. People are probably only penciling him in cause the internet is saying that's the move and doing anything else is actually going against the grain.

2024 Consensus Mock Draft | NFL Mock Draft Database

The 2024 Consensus NFL Mock Draft from NFL Mock Draft Database. We've compiled all featured mocks into a single popular 1st round mock draft.

www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com

Even Titans fan sites are echoing it:

4 scenarios where Tennessee Titans crush NFL draft — including 1 Will Levis should pray for

The Tennessee Titans can crush the 2024 NFL Draft in more than a few ways. Here are four best-case scenarios for the Titans next week.

www.tennessean.com

Who are Titans' ideal picks in first two rounds of 2024 NFL draft?

Chad Reuter of NFL.com listed who he believes are the Titans’ ideal picks in the first two rounds of the 2024 NFL draft.

titanswire.usatoday.com

 

[DanielCCSBears]

I’ve heard enough negative stuff about Alt now that I wonder if fans are higher on him than NFL teams are. There’s also a ton of OTs available

There's a ton of OTs available because it's such a bad year for talent at other positions.

Every year players get artificially inflated because there's no talent at other positions.

Last year was a bad year for receivers so there wasn't a receiver that went in the Top-15 picks.
Everyone refuses to look at this thoroughly and instead react to the one thing I said which sucked the happiness out of the board.

Four receivers went in the first round in 2023 it must have been a great year......... The first pick happened at 20. This year 3 will go in the Top-10.

One offensive tackle may go top-10 this year.

Three went Top-11 last year.

 

[bamainatlanta]

There's a ton of OTs available because it's such a bad year for talent at other positions.

Every year players get artificially inflated because there's no talent at other positions.

Last year was a bad year for receivers so there wasn't a receiver that went in the Top-15 picks.
Everyone refuses to look at this thoroughly and instead react to the one thing I said which sucked the happiness out of the board.

Four receivers went in the first round in 2023 it must have been a great year......... The first pick happened at 20. This year 3 will go in the Top-10.

One offensive tackle may go top-10 this year.

Three went Top-11 last year.

Translation- you have no idea what you are talking about. /end discussion.

 

[IBleedBearsBlood]

Finally hearing noise about the Vikings moving up in the 1st rd. They traded with the Texans to get pick 23. They have a ton of talent on the offense. O'Connell is actually a pretty good offensive minded coach. They don't have a long term solution at QB in the locker room.
Starting to hear a lot of noise regarding the Vikings moving up to #2 to get their QB. This makes a lot of sense. The Vikings have 2 picks in the 1st rd this year, a 1st rd pick next year. The Patriots have a new GM and HC. Their offense needs a lot of help. It makes sense for them to stockpile high picks now instead of throwing a top QB pick on that offense.

This is a great scenario in my opinion. Hear me out and look at the draft. We will be gain by trading back on #23. Vikings get their QB, Maye or McCarthy.

We ship out Gordon to the Vikings to better the team. Latu and Sweat alone should help the D-backs, but our new DT and Kamara will help as well when our main guys need breathers. That trade brought us good players and more 2025 picks. Went for McConkey because we need a true slot receiver since we already have Moore and Allen on the outside. Javon Baker gives them a breather and he’s really good with deep balls.

 

[bamainatlanta]

Keenan Allen can play the slot and lineup everywhere else too. They aren’t shipping out Gordon, as Flus needs his nickel back. It’s the most important position in the secondary in his defensive scheme.

 

[IBleedBearsBlood]

Keenan Allen can play the slot and lineup everywhere else too. They aren’t shipping out Gordon, as Flus needs his nickel back. It’s the most important position in the secondary in his defensive scheme.

Well then we can get a DB instead of Mconkey or Orhorhoro. Sometimes you gotta start fresh at a position. Besides, we ain’t going the Super Bowl this year. Perfect time for a new DB to leans the system or even have another one step up.

 

[playthrough2001]

A player that was linked to the Titans earlier in the draft process was Brock Bowers.

That would be interesting for the Titans too. He’d be a huge help for Levis.

Georgia TE Brock Bowers: I want to play for the Tennessee Titans | FOX Sports

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers expressed that he wants to play for the Tennessee Titans, who own the seventh pick in the NFL Draft.

www.foxsports.com

 

[bamainatlanta]

Well then we can get a DB instead of Mconkey or Orhorhoro. Sometimes you gotta start fresh at a position. Besides, we ain’t going the Super Bowl this year. Perfect time for a new DB to leans the system or even have another one step up.

Gordon isn’t going anywhere, lol. They also aren’t going to help Minnesota get their QB of the future.

 

[bamainatlanta]

I did see Mueller say that he doesn't like a 6'8 OT. (actually closer to 6'9)
Brugler calls him Jake Matthews in Nate Solders body.
who knows.

Jonathan Ogden has entered the chat.

 

[DanielCCSBears]

Translation- you have no idea what you are talking about. /end discussion.

Let's keep it simple.

Tell me which offensive tackles this year are better than the prospects from a year ago.

 

[Bearly]

I’ve heard enough negative stuff about Alt now that I wonder if fans are higher on him than NFL teams are. There’s also a ton of OTs available

Being that tall at 320lb can actually be an issue. Strong guys can get under him and doesn't help sustained or 2nd level run block. I haven't watched him so no idea if it's a concern. There's also Mims later with similar measurables but lacking experience. You could always take him after a move down and let your coaches, you know, coach.

 

[bamainatlanta]

Being that tall at 320lb can actually be an issue. Strong guys can get under him and doesn't help sustained or 2nd level run block. I haven't watched him so no idea if it's a concern. There's also Mims later with similar measurables but lacking experience. You could always take him after a move down and let your coaches, you know, coach.

I’m going to guess with 800pass snaps and 1 sack allowed(the DE stepped on his foot and bull rushed him) and minimal pressures, it doesn’t seem to be an issues.

 

[DanielCCSBears]

IMO, Zierlein is a terrible prognosticator to represent NFL.com.

Who do you prefer over Zierlin?