One of the best things about the NFL Draft is the unpredictability. Outside of the Tennessee Titans taking Cam Ward with the no. 1 overall pick, it is going to be a high-variance, three-day free-for-all.
Every team's board looks different. The closest thing to a real draft board that fans get to see is Dane Brugler's draft guide, The Beast. It is a compendium of background information, analytics, high school recruiting rankings, grandmother's maiden names, etc.
Pairing that guide with The Draft Network's mock draft machine, we've conducted a Titans mock draft that utilizes Brugler's draft guide.
Round 1 (No. 1 overall): Cam Ward QB, Miami
Position rank: 1, overall rank: 13th
Drafting Ward at No. 1 overall isn't the best value, but it's essentially a done deal. Ward has developed and improved every year despite increasingly difficult competition and playing in more complex offensive schemes.
Round 2 (No. 35 overall): Mike Green EDGE, Marshall
Position rank: 4th, overall rank: 10th
If character concerns don't worry the Titans, then this would be a massive steal. Green would instantly become the alpha in the EDGE meeting room, and everything about his tape and his testing screams that he will be a good starter who dominates obvious pass-rushing situations early in his career.
Round 4 (No. 103 overall): Mason Taylor TE, LSU
Position rank: 3rd, overall rank: 33rd
Green was a boom-or-bust pick, but Taylor is the opposite. Everything about Taylor, from his body of work to his family tree, points to him being a solid NFL pro for a very long time with a high floor and a fairly high ceiling.
Round 4 (No. 120 overall): Jordan Burch EDGE, Oregon
Position rank: 10th, overall rank: 52nd
There is some Dre'Mont Jones to Burch's game and he is a great counter to what Green offers. The burst and explosion of Green and Arden Key match up well with the power and size of Jones and Burch, so this would give the Titans some depth and personality on their defensive front.
Round 5 (No. 141 overall): Tory Horton WR, Colorado State
Position rank: 13th, Overall rank: N/A
On Day Three, the Titans need to worry about combining value and fit. Even though there were higher-ranked players on the board (see the next pick), they have to start chipping away at wide receiver. Horton can be a return man on special teams, and due to Horton's speed, he and Ward could be a potent combo on deep passes and scramble drills.
Round 5 (No. 167 overall): Jordan James RB, Oregon
Position rank: 7th, overall rank: 77th
The Titans are set at running back, but it never hurts to add more talent at a discount. Like Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, James is a guy who rarely goes down on first contact and despite having a solid year as the bellcow in 2024, he showed what he could do as part of a split backfield in 2023 when he averaged 7.1 yards per attempt and a touchdown on 10% of his carries.
Round 6 (No. 178 overall): Dont'e Thornton Jr. WR, Tennessee
Position rank: 23rd, overall rank: N/A
Thornton is a height-weight-speed monster who has the skills to develop into a threat on the boundary at the next level. Even if he never becomes an every down player, his size and speed make him a big-play machine that will stretch defenses vertically.
Round 6 (No. 188 overall): Chris Paul Jr. LB, Ole Miss
Position rank: 7th, overall rank: N/A
The most important thing for the Titans to do in the draft is to set Ward up for success early. They checked those boxes by drafting a great tight end, a talented running back, and a pair of electric deep threats at wide receiver. Now Dennard Wilson's defense rounds out a draft where they get some attackers. Two EDGEs in Mike Green and Jordan Burch will make a difference, and Chris Paul Jr. fits in the mold of so many other undersized linebackers (specifically David Long Jr.) that make front sevens a nightmare for opposing offenses.