Tennessee Titans Rated Top Five in AFC Draft Class Rankings

The Tennessee Titans 2023 NFL draft class continues to get praise. The Titans were ranked as one of the top five performers from the AFC in a recent ranking done by Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame.

NASHVILLE — In the days since the 2023 NFL draft concluded, the Titans have received a ton of positive reviews for their draft selections. Whether it be the smart selection of Peter Skoronski in the first round, the trade up for Will Levis in the second, adding an explosive running back in Tyjae Spears or the three athletic projects they took on day three, the Titans picks have been held in high esteem by those in the NFL media.

That includes Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated who had the Titans as the fifth-best draft performance in the AFC. Verderame went into detail and explained why he has the Titans so high on his list.

"This class will largely be defined by how Will Levis turns out. Tennessee took a talented, versatile offensive lineman in Peter Skoronski at No. 11 before nabbing Levis in the second round. If Levis excels as the starting quarterback in 2024 and beyond, the Titans will have their future.

Staying with the offense, Tennessee found an ideal complement to Derrick Henry in running back Tyjae Spears, who scored 21 touchdowns in his senior season with Tulane. With Henry getting a bit older, Spears could help prolong the Pro Bowler’s career. Finally, sixth-round tackle Jaelyn Duncan from Maryland is a nice value with upside."

The Titans did add some options that could help in the present and in the future. Skoronski and Spears can help right away as Verderame pointed out, but Levis and Duncan could be major parts of the Titans' future. As a whole, the Titans appear to have done a great job blending needs of now and later.

The oddsmakers aren't high on the Titans this year. The gambling website Fanduel updated its odds after the draft, and the Titans have the 28th-longest odds — out of 32 NFL teams — to win the Super Bowl at 75-to-1. Tampa Bay has the same odds, and only three teams — Indianapolis (85-to-1), Houston (110-to-1) and Arizona (180-to-1) are bigger longshots.

They are 55-to-1 longshots just to win the AFC and 5.5-to-1 to win the AFC South, with Jacksonville the favorite. The Colts are Texans are behind, and everyone thinks this division, as a whole, is the worst in football. 

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