Glennon's Final Titans Seven-Round Mock

Days before the 2020 NFL Draft, expect general manager Jon Robinson to look for offense early and defense on Day Three.

NASHVILLE – One of the messages the Titans have sent consistently since the end of the 2021 season is the desire to get better around quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

That process began in March when the Titans traded for veteran wide receiver Robert Woods and signed tight end Austin Hooper during free agency.

Expect the Titans to continue down that same path when the NFL Draft gets underway with Thursday night’s first round, as the Titans still look needy at offensive line, wide receiver and tight end.

The Titans currently have seven selections, beginning with the 26th overall pick in the first round and continuing as follows: third round (90th overall); fourth round (131st overall and 143rd overall); fifth round (169th overall); sixth round (204th overall and 219th overall).

Here’s my final seven-round Titans mock draft, featuring offensive selections with the first three picks – and with four of the seven picks overall:

First Round (26th overall)

Zion Johnson, G, Boston College

6-3, 312 pounds

What’s to like: The original pick here was Central Michigan tackle Bernhard Raimann, and I’d still be comfortable if the Titans went in that direction, as it might give the team a quality starting right tackle in 2022 that could potentially transition to starting left tackle as early as 2023. But Johnson just seems to check too many boxes for the Titans to pass on. We know the Titans’ need at guard is just as great as at tackle, following the departures of Rodger Saffold and David Quessenberry. And even if starting tackles are harder to come by than guards, Johnson seems to be an excellent fit as a player and a culture guy. There just seems very little not to like about the marriage of the Titans and Johnson, starting with the fact he’s equally adept as an excellent run blocker and pass blocker. Johnson excelled in a Boston College run game that featured plenty of zone schemes, similar to those the Titans run. In the passing game, Johnson surrendered just three sacks in 779 pass-block snaps over the past two seasons. He’s durable (has played in 58 straight games), and versatile to the point the Titans might even consider looking at him as a tackle. By all appearances, Johnson looks to be a very safe and high-quality offensive line pick, a description that should appeal to the Titans after the last two drafts at that position.

Third Round (90th overall)

Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati

6-3, 211 pounds

What’s to like: This was a tough call. I’d love for the Titans to snare Alabama’s John Metchie here, but I suspect he’ll be gone, despite the fact he’s recovering from ACL surgery. I also wouldn’t mind either of two smaller receivers – Kentucky’s Wan’Dale Robinson or Memphis’ Calvin Austin – as they both bring explosive play-making ability and good fits in the slot. But Pierce is the call because of his ability as a deep threat, his size, his athleticism and his productivity. Pierce ran a strong 4.41 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, recorded a 40-inch vertical jump and registered a 79-inch wingspan. But what stands out most in the on-field scouting reports on Pierce is his ability to stack cornerbacks behind him, leading to his downfield production. That’s one big reason Pierce averaged 17.5 yards per reception on 106 catches over three seasons. Pierce totaled 13 deep catches last year, which ranked 15th in the country, and his 17.1-yard average depth of target was 16th in the country, per Pro Football Focus. Pierce hauled in eight touchdown passes last season as well. His ability to serve as a deep threat would be an excellent complement to A.J. Brown and Robert Woods.

Fourth Round (131st overall)

Jelani Woods, TE, Virginia

6-7, 259 pounds

What’s to like: Some of the more heavy-duty blockers in this group – like Ohio State’s Jeremy Ruckert and Washington’s Cade Otton – may well be off the board at this point. But there is plenty to like about the jumbo-sized Woods. He did a great job using his giant frame to shield smaller defenders last season, and he was an absolute load to bring down. Woods made 11 contested catches (eighth in the country among tight ends, per PFF) last season and forced 11 missed tackles (tied for eighth among tight ends). Those numbers were part of a huge breakout season for Woods, who’d been used sparingly as a pass-catcher in three years at Oklahoma State. In 11 games last season, Woods caught 44 passes for 598 yards (13.6-yard average) and eight touchdowns. He only helped his cause at the NFL scouting combine, running a 4.61 40-yard dash and totaling 24 reps on the bench press, best among tight ends. Analysts feel Woods could improve in the run-blocking department, but with his size and toughness, there is growth potential in that department.

Fourth Round (143rd overall)

Zyon McCollum, CB, Sam Houston State

6-2, 199 pounds

What’s to like: The Titans need to bolster depth at this position, especially because it remains to be seen just how well Caleb Farley returns from the second ACL surgery of his career – and how quickly he can make up for playing very little football over the last two years. In my previous mock, I had the Titans taking Houston cornerback Marcus Jones here. I still think that would be a great pick if he’s available, but the closer we get to the draft, the more it looks like Jones is a Day 2 pick. McCollum has some tremendous physical traits – including his size, speed (4.33 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine) and a 39.5-inch vertical. He was very productive in five seasons for the Bearkats as well, totaling 13 interceptions, 54 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and 10 tackles for loss. McCollum is considered fluid in coverage, aggressive against the run and “an NFL-ready gunner,” per The Athletic. The question on McCollum is why he wasn’t more of a lockdown corner on the FCS level, and how much of a concern that is moving to the NFL level – despite the many plusses on his resume.

Fifth Round (169th overall)

J.T. Woods, S, Baylor

6-2, 195 pounds

What’s to like: The Titans need to add depth at the safety position following Dane Cruikshank’s departure, and Woods looks like the kind of player who could fill a similar role – athletic and versatile. At the NFL scouting combine, Woods opened some eyes with a 4.36 40-yard dash and a 39.5-inch vertical, a couple of numbers that should boost his draft stock and add to his special-teams value. He moved around the field a lot as well for the Bears last season, playing 359 snaps at deep safety, 217 in the box and 212 in the slot. And Woods was productive defensively, totaling five interceptions. He averaged almost 22 yards per return on those picks, taking one to the end zone. His run-game defense and his tackling need to get better, but Woods would offer a lot if he’s still around at this point.

Sixth Round (204th overall)

Velus Jones, WR, Tennessee

6-0, 204 pounds

What’s to like: It’s certainly possible Jones is off the board at this point. But PFF ranks him 193rd on its big board, and The Athletic has Jones as a fifth-round/sixth-round selection – both forecasts that would be in the neighborhood of the Titans at pick number 204. The soon-to-be 25 year-old Jones is an interesting prospect. He spent six years in school (one redshirt year, one extra season because of COVID rules), but did very little as a receiver until last season, when Jones’ totals for the Vols – 62 catches for 807 yards and seven touchdowns – were better than all of his previous years combined. Jones isn’t considered a particularly polished receiver, but his strength after the catch and his speed with the ball in his hands (4.31 40-yard dash) are intriguing. He’d be a huge special-teams addition, as Jones returned 23 kick-offs for 628 yards (27.3-yard average) and one touchdown last season, adding 15 punt returns for 272 yards (15.1-yard average). Those numbers should sound especially attractive for a Titans team that has struggled for years in the return game.

Sixth Round (219th overall)

D'Marco Jackson, ILB, Appalachian State

6-1, 233 pounds

What’s to like: The Titans could stand to shore up their depth at inside linebacker, now that Rashaan Evans and Jayon Brown have moved on. Monty Rice appears to have potential behind Zach Cunningham and David Long, but we didn’t get a huge sample size (179 defensive snaps) to evaluate last season. Jackson was highly productive for the Mountaineers over the past two seasons, totaling a combined 211 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and 14 passes defensed over the past two seasons. He’s considered an aggressive, physical defender who can also hold his own in pass coverage. Jackson also checks off all the boxes – big special-teams contributor, team captain, leader – that help a late-round pick stick on the roster and make a contribution.