Titans NFL Draft Daily (Jan. 24): Tennessee Takes OT Joe Alt in Mel Kiper's 1st Mock Draft
NASHVILLE — Mel Kiper Jr., one of the most respected figures in draft coverage, has released his first NFL mock draft for 2024. The ESPN expert believes the Tennessee Titans will select Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt with the No. 7 pick.
Offensive tackle is a huge need for the Titans after last season's experiment with Andre Dillard and Jaelyn Duncan failed miserably. Two names continue reappearing: Alt and Penn State's Olu Fashanu.
Either Alt or Fashanu would be Week 1 starters for Tennessee in 2024. Kiper believes the Notre Dame lineman will provide better protection for young quarterback Will Levis.
"I keep staring at the Titans' depth chart and wondering whether they should go back to the O-line, though. They took Peter Skoronski at No. 11 a year ago and played him mostly at guard, where he was just okay. Why not solidify the left tackle spot with the top two tackles in this class on the board?" Kiper wrote.
"Alt was the definition of a stalwart on the left side of Notre Dame's line, where he started 33 games. He gave up just two sacks over the past two seasons. Tennessee ranked 31st in the rate of sacks per dropback (11.1%) in 2023, so putting Levis in a better position to succeed should be a priority."
The idea of switching Skoronski back to left tackle — a position he played primarily at Northwestern — became a topic of conversation among fans. However, with the Titans' recent hiring of former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, it seems that won't be the case.
In an interview prior to the 2023 NFL Draft, Callahan said Skoronski was one of the most talented linemen in the class. However, he labeled him as an offensive guard, which probably means that Skoronski is settled into that position.
Mel Kiper Jr.'s Top 10
Kiper's first dry run includes where draft prospects rank, according to ESPN's top 25:
1. Chicago Bears
- Pick: Caleb Williams, QB
- School: USC
- ESPN top 25 rank: No. 1
2. Washington Commanders
- Pick: Jayden Daniels, QB
- School: LSU
- ESPN top 25 rank: No. 3
3. New England Patriots
- Pick: Drake Maye, QB
- School: North Carolina
- ESPN top-25 rank: No. 4
4. Arizona Cardinals
- Pick: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR
- School: Ohio State
- ESPN top 25 rank: No. 2
5. Los Angeles Chargers
- Pick: Brock Bowers, TE
- School: Georgia
- ESPN top 25 rank: No. 9
6. New York Giants
- Pick: Malik Nabors, WR
- School: LSU
- ESPN top 25 rank: No. 5
7. Tennessee Titans
- Pick: Joe Alt, OT
- School: Notre Dame
- ESPN top 25 rank: No. 7
8. Atlanta Falcons
- Pick: Dallas Turner, LB
- School: Alabama
- ESPN top 25 rank: No. 10
9. Chicago Bears
- Pick: Rome Odunze, WR
- School: Washington
- ESPN top 25 rank: No. 8
10. New York Jets
- Pick: Olu Fashanu, OT
- School: Penn State
- ESPN top 25 rank: No. 6
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