Let’s get one thing right, it is way too early to know for sure how the players from the Tennessee Titans 2022 draft class will pan out in year one.
It has been a mere three weeks since the draft happened, and as far as their NFL careers are concerned, all we have to judge are the first two days of rookie minicamp and a few plays made during OTAs.
Even if we cannot fully answer this question at least until training camp begins, the general sentiment is that the Titans drafted very well this year. And based on what we know about the players themselves and the team’s history under Mike Vrabel and Jon Robinson, there is enough information to get a good idea of how these rookies will fare in 2022.
Like the last two years, this class is likely to have players who emerge later in their careers than others. In 2020 rookies like Kristian Fulton, Teair Tart, and Aaron Brewer, didn’t look nearly as good as they did in 2021.
Similarly, players from the 2019 draft class like Amani Hooker and David Long were afterthoughts early in their careers and it wouldn’t be difficult to see both of them compete for Pro Bowl spots this season.
The big difference is that this class has some players with a chance to make an instant impact as well. Let’s look at the timeline of the rookie class.
Day one starters for Tennessee Titans
Let’s state the obvious — no player in this Titans draft class is under more pressure to perform than Treylon Burks. It is one thing to have the expectation of a first-round pick, but add that he was picked as the essential replacement for AJ Brown, and that makes it all the more important that he comes in and does well from the jump.
It is not a totally unrealistic expectation, however, as Burks is a big, fast, physical receiver who has plenty of tools to succeed at the NFL level. His main comparison coming into the draft was ironically Brown himself, so it should help him that he is going into a system that suits his strength as a yard after catch threat.
He still has plenty of work to do as his route runner, and he has had to go in and out of practice more than you would like. There are still four months before the season begins, so he has plenty of time to perfect his craft before taking an official snap and if you can play in SEC heat in August then conventional wisdom says that you should be alright.
Hassan Haskins, the team’s first fourth-round pick, is another player who should be able to do his job from the very beginning. He certainly will not be the starting running back, as Derrick Henry is very much still the main workhorse, but that was never what Haskins was brought in to do.
The expectation for Haskins is to provide a one-two punch in the ground game and take some of the weight off of Henry’s shoulders, which is even more important now that he is coming off of an injury. Considering Haskins is a bruising power back and that D’Onta Foreman did well for the Tennessee Titans in that role, expect him to be effective from day one on.
This is a bold prediction, but there is a good chance that the team’s fifth-rounder, Kyle Philips, starts from the start. His footwork made him dangerous in college as a route runner and punt returner, and the ability to be a playmaker with the ball in your hands tends to translate to success at the NFL level.
Philips also does not shy away as a downfield blocker, and this touchdown against the third overall pick Derek Stingley shows that he does not go down easily. He has all the traits that the Titans want in their receivers, and with Burks and Robert Woods garnering most of the defense’s attention, he might just be in a good position to succeed in year one.
Draftees with unknown but potential impact in year one
The Tennessee Titans selected Roger McCreary with their lone second-round pick this year, a very technically sound cornerback who stepped up big time against high-level competition when he was at Auburn. But the big question is where he will fit in this year.
Kristian Fulton will be one of the starters for sure, and Elijah Molden appears to have the slot spot locked down at the moment. There is a question of whether or not Caleb Farley will be able to rebound after tearing his ACL last year but based on the way the Titans are talking about him, it is reasonable to expect that he too will be relied on in a key role this year.
Most likely, McCreary will be used in a rotational role this year, because it is just hard to imagine him holding an actual starting position with the way the team is currently assembled. But it is hard to have too many options at cornerback, and especially with so many elite quarterbacks being in the AFC, the Titans will use him in any way they possibly can.
Theo Jackson, the team’s sixth-round safety, is in a similar position to McCreary. His attitude and nose for the football caught Mike Vrabel’s eye in rookie minicamp, and those instincts are certainly valuable tools that safeties need to succeed in the NFL.
But like McReary, Jackson has to compete with Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker, which might be an even tougher task since those players have actually established starters on the Titans. But once again, you can never have too much depth in your secondary, and in whichever way Jackson can help, he definitely will.
The Titans’ second fourth-rounder, Chig Okonkwo, immediately gave the fans Jonnu Smith vibes when he was selected. He is clearly athletically gifted, and with the playmaking ability he has with the ball in his hands, he has a chance to develop into a very dangerous weapon for them.
But like the other players on this list, Okonkwo has another starter he has to compete with and needs some work as a blocker before he can be a full-time starter. The Titans might use some two tight end sets from time to time to get him the football and give him some in-game experience and confidence, but he is unlikely to be used in any more than a sporadic role in his rookie year.
They also drafted linebacker Chance Campbell in the sixth round, and if there is one draftee whose spot on the roster is in most question, it is him. That being said, the Titans have seemed to develop late-round linebackers into at least formidable players (Jayon Brown and David Long), and they like to rotate and have a lot of depth at the position. Campbell’s ceiling this year is most likely seeing the field in a limited role, but he might not play a single snap at the same time.
The project draftees for the Tennessee Titans
Both of the players that the Titans drafted in the third round are unlikely to see the field in any meaningful capacity in their rookie years. Let’s start with the most notable player in this category, and maybe the most notable in the entire team’s class — quarterback Malik Willis.
Yes, the talent is there, and yes, drafting him so late in the third round was a huge steal considering he was near-unanimously going to be taken in the first round, even if it was late. But as has been said many times and is going to be said once again, he is far too raw to be taking a snap anytime soon.
Willis needs to sit and learn the Titans’ playbook, and having gone to school at Liberty, he has nowhere near the experience to be ready to go up against NFL competition. You have to feel good about what he has shown in terms of throwing ability, running ability, and pocket presence, but needs at least a year before he is ready to play.
Their other third-round pick, tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere looks promising, and might not need time to sit like Willis, but it would make the most sense for his development. First of all, he is not going to beat out Taylor Lewan for the job at left tackle, and Dillon Radunz is looking more and more like the guy who is going to start on the right side.
And especially knowing the Titans, they are not going to be in a rush to get Petit-Frere out onto the field, which is very sensible since tackle is a hard position to get acclimated to. They are thin along the offensive line, but they were in 2021 and still would not play Radunz over Aaron Brewer or David Quessenberry. Petit-Frere is someone you should feel good about, but do not expect much from him this year.