2022 NFL Mock Draft: Tennessee Titans trade with Cincinnati Bengals
By Will Lomas
Making the most of the rest of the draft
If the Titans are going to take the slight risk of trading down, then they need to make it worth their while when they actually make their picks later in the draft.
Based on the roster right now, it looks like their biggest needs going into the draft are:
-WR3 (who can eventually be WR2)
-Backup left guard or right tackle depending on how they view Dillon Radunz
-TE2
-Kick/Punt returner
Still, need isn’t everything in the draft and sometimes if the perfect prospect is there you take them and worry about needs later. That is how the Titans landed players like Kevin Byard, Derrick Henry, David Long, Elijah Molden, Amani Hooker, and the list goes on.
Here are what I could see the Titans doing with the remaining four selections.
3rd round, pick 90: Cole Strange iOL, Chatanooga
Corey Levin has made a nice career in the NFL out of UTC and Cole Strange seems like a similar player with a higher upside. While he can play center, he started 42 games in college at left guard and he could easily come in and compete for the starting job right away.
Assuming that Vrabel does his thing and makes Strange wait to start, Tennessee’s OL could start with Taylor Lewan, Aaron Brewer, Ben Jones, Nate Davis, and Dillon Radunz with Strange as the primary backup interior lineman and Jamarco Jones as the backup offensive tackle.
3rd round, pick 95: DeAngelo Malone EDGE, Western Kentucky
EDGE may seem weird here, but Malone has spent time with the Titans and he is a perfect fit for what they have historically targeted in the third round.
4th round, pick 131: Daniel Bellinger TE, San Diego State
Bellinger is what people that didn’t watch the Titans last year think Geoff Swaim is. He is a great blocker who was underutilized in college and given his age (21) and his athletic potential (similar to Travis Kelce), he is a great pick here.
4th round, pick 145: Velus Jones WR/KR/PR, Tennessee
The Titans have been desperately searching for a player who can return kicks, punts, and contribute as a receiver if called upon since they moved on from Darius Jennings. Well, that is exactly what Jones offers and he played his last two years in college right down the road at the University of Tennessee.