Titans NFL Draft Daily (Feb. 20): 'Interesting' Yale Tackle Could Be Solid Option for Tennessee
The Tennessee Titans aren't really in a position to select a "fan favorite" type of prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. But if there is a player who can make a quick impact and who also brings a feel-good story to Nashville, it might be Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie.
Amegadjie, a 6-foot-5, 318-pound offensive lineman, is ranked as the No. 62 overall prospect in this year's draft class based on the Pro Football Focus (PFF) Big Board. He was an All-Ivy League selection in 2022.
Ivy League players are rarely discussed much as high-profile draft prospects, but Amegadjie might be the exception.
In an interview with The Athletic, the former Yale standout said, "In my opinion, I’m the most interesting prospect in the draft.” He might also be the one with the most upside.
What makes Amegadjie such an intriguing player? It might be the fact that he's spent such a limited amount of time on a football field — especially as it compares to other names in the NFL Draft.
Amegadjie didn't begin playing organized football until eighth grade. A "bad experience" pushed him away from the game until his sophomore year of high school.
By the time his career at the prep level ended, Amegadjie had 22 offers to play college football, but only one came from an FBS program: Central Michigan.
More unfortunate circumstances prevented Amegadjie from playing once he arrived at Yale. The Covid-19 pandemic shut down his freshman season in 2020.
The offensive tackle started all 20 games for the Bulldogs over the next two seasons. Then, in 2023, he suffered a partially torn quadriceps during practice, ending his year after four games.
Despite those setbacks, Amegadjie is considered a solid Day 2 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Can Titans gamble on potential upside?
Obviously, Amegadjie isn't getting the same level of attention as other offensive tackles in this draft — Joe Alt, Olu Fashanu, Taliese Fuaga, and JC Latham, to name a few. Depending on Amegadjie's performance at the NFL Scouting Combine, the Yale man could range from a second- to third-round pick.
If Tennessee wants to pursue an offensive tackle with the No. 7 pick, Alt or Fashanu are the likely selections. We've already talked ad nauseam about those two prospects and it's only February.
But there's growing conversation about the Titans potentially going with a receiver in the first round, likely either Rome Odunze or Malik Nabers. If that's the case, could Amegadjie be a player on the board in the second round for coach Brian Callahan and general manager Ran Carthon?
Here's the conundrum: Tennessee really needs an immediate impact player at left tackle. Because the Titans were so poor at protecting quarterback Will Levis last season, fixing that side of the offensive line is imperative.
It's also a stretch to believe the Titans will improve from a 6-11 team in 2023 to a playoff team in 2024, especially with so many critical needs on the roster. So, if Tennessee believes a player like Amegadjie — raw in talent and experience — has a better long-term ceiling, maybe he's worth a second-round selection.
Bear with me as we close out this Titans NFL Draft Daily, but Amegadjie's upside gives Tennessee something interesting to think about over the next few months.
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