Tennessee Titans positional grades and biggest needs: Week 3

Tight Ends: C-

There aren’t many great tight ends in the NFL, so when you lose one you definitely feel it. That is how the Titans are right now without one of the very best in Delanie Walker.

It can’t be overstated how hard Walker competes and how good he is at being a complete tight end. The Titans are seeing how hard it is to replace him now, and really they are having to do it by committee.

Luke Stocker is the guy they want blocking and Jonnu Smith is the athletic “move” tight end that they want, though you wouldn’t tell by the box scores. Sure the Titans were close to springing Jonnu Smith for a big catch last week (the play where Gabbert caught his own pass and then threw it out of bounds) but Stocker has had bigger catches than Smith in both weeks now.

He works as the backside TE that no one covers and who can slip out into coverage. In fact, even if you cover him all that does is give Marcus Mariota a real lead blocker in space if he decides to scramble.

So this group is getting harshly graded because it is taking two people to do what Walker used to do by himself. That may not be exactly fair, but if the Titans want a true Walker replacement in the future (which is why they drafted Smith) then they need to start developing him.