5 bold predictions for the Tennessee Titans in the 2023 NFL draft
By Will Lomas
People are describing the 2023 NFL Draft as one of the most unpredictable drafts in recent history, and no one is less predictable than the Tennessee Titans right now.
On Monday, GM Ran Carthon addressed the media for his first pre-draft press conference and it shouldn't surprise anyone that he gave little to no insight on the team's draft plans or what they are looking for in this draft.
It seems like we have gotten just about all the information that we are going to get, and the next 48 hours will be almost exclusively smokescreens. So before all that happens, this feels like a good time to make some bold predictions.
Here are the five predictions I am ready to make before the draft, starting with the least surprising to the most surprising.
1. RAS will be a big factor for the Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans have never been a team that prioritizes athleticism as much as they prioritize getting physical players that "love football" and play with constant effort. That process served them well for rebuilding a franchise that won five combined games in two seasons, but after losing seven-straight games to finish the 2022 season Vrabel made it clear that the team needs to add speed.
Now, more speed is a good thing for any team, but what I believe he meant to say that he wanted a team that was more athletic this year. Instead of putting a higher emphasis on 40 times, it makes more sense that they would be much more interested in guys with higher RAS scores.
That might mean moving guys like Michael Mayer, Anton Harrison, Jayden Reed, Tyjae Spears, etc. down their draft board a little bit for being good but not great athletes. It will also be a move away from using production as an important metric for identifying potential Tennessee Titans draft picks.
At some point in the draft, there will be a bigger, more well-known name at a position and the Tennessee Titans will pass them over for a different player at the same position with a better RAS score.