Tennessee Titans suspiciously quiet about major draft need

Teams are very secretive in April, and that goes double for an under-the-radar team like the Tennessee Titans.

Still, between agents and media members with connections to the team, you get a pretty clear picture of some things before the 2023 NFL Draft rolls around.

One of the things that people put a lot of importance on is which players get one of the Tennessee Titans’ top 30 official visits (sometimes called private visits).

With more than a dozen names on the list of private visits so far, there are players at nearly every position including obvious needs like offensive linemen, quarterbacks, receivers, and cornerbacks, as well as low-priority needs like defensive linemen, off-ball linebackers, and EDGEs.

A high-priority group that is suspiciously absent is tight end.

What are the Tennessee Titans planning at tight end?

It could just be that we don’t know all of the visits and that there have been several tight ends that have come in for a private visit, but right now there are very few connections to be made.

They did show reportedly show interest in Tucker Kraft from South Dakota State as well as Payne Durham from Purdue, but if either has gotten a private workout with the Tennessee Titans, we don’t know about it yet.

As it stands right now, the Tennessee Titans have a clear TE1 in Chig Okonkwo who looks like one of the steals of the 2022 NFL Draft. He is a dynamic weapon and even though he is limited as a blocker, he is still a player who has a role on every down.

Speaking of blocking tight ends, that will be the job of the newly signed Trevon Wesco who is the polar opposite of what is popular right now in the NFL at the tight end position. Reminiscent of Craig Stevens, Phillip Supernaw, and Anthony Fasano, Wesco should be someone that doesn’t light up the stat sheet, but also someone who makes everyone’s life easier.

After those two, the Tennessee Titans have three other tight ends on the roster and none of them are particularly intriguing. Kevin Rader, Thomas Odukoya, and Justin Rigg are all guys who project more as blocking tight ends but none have done anything to really make you confident that they would make the 53-man roster on a great team.

By all accounts, this is one of the best tight ends draft classes in years, and not just in terms of depth. According to Dane Brugler’s top-100 rankings, 8 of the top-100 players are tight ends. If all eight are drafted in the first 100 selections, it will only be the second time that has happened in more than 15 years.

Whether you are looking at this in terms of value or solving holes at positions of need, the question isn’t “Should the Titans draft a tight end?” It is, “Which tight end do the Titans like?”

Keep an eye on this position and any connections made to the Tennessee Titans leading into the draft.