Despite still being in the midst of the 2022 campaign, many of the top NFL draft analysts are already starting to release their first mock drafts of the season for 2023.
These are admittedly very premature predictions that are mostly tied to team needs as opposed to actual projections considering the 2023 NFL draft order won’t be completely set until after the season.
One of the most respected and popular analysts in the entire industry is undoubtedly ESPN’s Todd McShay.
For his first mock draft, the ESPN analyst projects the Tennessee Titans will address one of the most glaring holes on the roster with their first-round pick, which comes at wide receiver.
He has the Titans selecting Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the No. 22 overall pick next spring. This is what McShay had to say about this particular selection:
Only the Bears and Ravens have fewer WR receiving yards this season than the Titans (1,303), and rookie first-rounder Treylon Burks has just 25 catches and hasn’t stayed healthy. Worse, Tennessee has watched A.J. Brown dominate in Philadelphia after it traded the star receiver there on draft night in April. The offensive line and edge rush spots should be addressed, too, but receiver has to be fixed.
Smith-Njigba’s five-catch, 43-yard season might be concerning, but the hamstring injury that limited him in 2022 shouldn’t impact him in his rookie year. And he’s only one year removed from more than 1,600 receiving yards and nine TDs while fighting for targets alongside Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. This guy is a smooth route runner with good acceleration and soft hands, and he’d be a prime target for Ryan Tannehill/Malik Willis out of the slot.
Needless to say, many Titans fans would be happy with this pick if it became a reality.
Some fans would rightly be skeptical about selecting a player who spent the majority of his final collegiate season on the injured list. However, there’s no denying the type of talent Smith-Njigba possesses when he’s healthy.
Back in 2021, the Ohio State receiver produced 10 games where he eclipsed 90 receiving yards, seven games eclipsing 100 yards, and two games topping 200 yards before culminating his sophomore season with a legendary 347-yard, three-touchdown performance in the Rose Bowl.
While Smith-Njigba is an impressive talent and fit for the Titans, you can’t blame any fan for being wary of the team taking a recently-injured player after the Caleb Farley experiment.
One thing is for sure, though: Tennessee’s offensive line and wide receivers rooms desperately need an influx of talent this offseason.
There’s no telling how these two spots are ultimately addressed, but you can surely bet that they will be at the top of the priority list for whomever the next general manager is.