5 prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft with the best chance to be Tennessee Titans
By Will Lomas
4. Tyjae Spears RB, Tulane
The Tennessee Titans have a running back that they seem to like, and his name is Derrick Henry. He is that guy you see pop up on ESPN and NFL all summer long for his workout clips where he will do something like carry a bus up a mountain or wrestle a shark.
You may also know him as the Heisman-winning running back from Alabama who turned into the most productive running back in the NFL over the last half a decade, a 2,000-yard rusher, and a potential Hall of Famer. Unfortunately for Henry, Titans fans, Alabama fans, and football fans in general, Henry is getting up there in years and whether you want to admit it or not, he has lost a little bit of his top-end speed.
Whether that half of a step, his age, and his contract are enough for the Tennessee Titans to try to move him this year is up for debate (and they would have to actually convince a team to take him knowing those flaws), but his time in Tennessee might be closer to the end than you want.
Fortunately, there is a different but very interesting type of running back coming out of college this year that fits what winning teams like in a prospect and you can see why he would be appealing to Ran Carthon. When he was in San Francisco, Ran was part of a front office that advocated for drafting Elijah Mitchell because he was a great fit for what they did and what they needed.
In Tennessee, Spears has an easy path to a prominent role in the offense since he can step in immediately as a third-down running back and/or a gadget player to move around an offense. That wouldn't step on Henry's toes if they wanted to keep both, but it also would give them a good return on investment during his rookie season.
The Titans have had Spears in for an official visit and you can see Ran Carthon watching tape of Spears in one of the videos that the team posted after he was hired to be the GM. They also attended his Pro Day, so if Tennessee trades down and picks up extra draft capital he could be someone they target in the middle of Day 2.