2024 NFL Mock Draft: Tennessee Titans have a critical decision to make in the 2nd round
By Will Lomas
With how things are looking, the Tennessee Titans are going to either draft a left tackle or a wide receiver in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
You always have to factor for teams doing something stupid like drafting a tight end or an EDGE with the first pick, but if the Tennessee Titans have any hope of turning this franchise around quickly, then the 7th pick in the draft will either be Joe Alt, Marvin Harrison Jr., or Malik Nabers.
With those names written in pencil, I wanted to take a look at some options for the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the draft.
Remember, the draft is supposedly deep at tackle and wide receiver so depending on who they select and how the rest of the first round goes, there may be a steal for them at the top of the second round that addresses the position that they didn't take in the first round.
On the other hand, there might be a run on players that the Titans could need and they may have to adapt and focus on taking the best player available.
To figure out what choices the Titans would be making, I ran 10 simulations on PFF's draft simulator selecting Joe Alt, and 10 simulations selecting a wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans in the first round. Here are the 5 best players left on the board and how many times they were available.
Tennessee Titans second-round draft options
When the Tennessee Titans select Joe Alt at 7:
1. Tyler Nubin S, Minnesota (ranked 26th by PFF), (9)
2. Payton Wilson LB, North Carolina State (27th) (9)
3. Zach Frazier C, West Virginia (32nd) (9)
4. Ladd McConkey WR, Georgia (33rd) (6)
5. Bo Nix QB, Oregon (34th) (9)
6. T.J. Tampa CB, Iowa State (35th) (5)
7. Mike Sainristil CB, Michigan (36th) (4)
When the Tennessee Titans select a receiver at 7:
1. Tyler Nubin S, Minnesota (26th) (8)
2. Payton Wilson LB, North Carolina State (27th) (10)
3. Adonai Mitchell WR, Texas (31st) (2)
4. Zach Frazier C, West Virginia (32nd) (10)
5. Ladd McConkey WR, Georgia (33rd) (3)
6. Bo Nix QB, Oregon (34th) (7)
7. T.J. Tampa CB, Iowa State (35th) (2)
8. Mike Sainristil CB, Michigan (36th) (8)
When you look at it like that, there are two interesting trends that I highlighted. The first is that if the Tennessee Titans take Joe Alt in the first round, Ladd McConkey is twice as likely to be available when they select in the second round.
However, if the Tennessee Titans were to draft a wide receiver in the first round, Adonai Mitchell was frustratingly available for the Titans in the second round on two occasions.
The most important thing to pay attention to is that there are no tackles to be found in the second round if you want to find good value. Guys like Jordan Morgan and Kingsley Suamataia were sometimes available, but they were usually drafted either higher in the second or late in the first.
Not only does that confirm that the Titans should draft Joe Alt in the first round, but it is a good reminder that the Titans could pair Alt and McConkey together and both could immediately start. That duo would be one of the best in the class for teams that don't have multiple first-round picks and it would give the Titans all the ingredients to be one of the better offenses in the NFL.
It has become a trendy move to give the Titans a defensive tackle, off-ball linebacker, or an EDGE in the second round, and those are all good ideas. But, if you are looking at maximizing draft value and setting Will Levis up for success, an Alt/McConkey pairing is a no-brainer.