These Tight Ends Could Interest Titans

Whether via free agency or the draft -- or both -- there should be options to help fill a position of need.

NASHVILLE – Two weeks before the start of the NFL year, the Tennessee Titans look like they’ll soon have plenty of available seats in the tight end room.

Their top three players at the position last season – Geoff Swaim, Anthony Firkser and MyCole Pruitt – are all pending unrestricted free agents after combining for 79 catches, 646 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021. It remains unclear whether any will be on the roster in 2022, and Pruitt’s chances are clouded by the severe ankle injury he sustained in the Jan. 1 victory over Miami.

In Tommy Hudson, Briley Moore, Austin Fort and Ryan Izzo, the Titans do have four tight ends under contract for 2022, but that group has combined for 16 NFL receptions – 13 by Izzo.

So, it seems pretty clear the Titans will look to add to the bunch in the weeks and months ahead.

The good news is that most analysts believe this year’s crop of draft prospects and free agents to be stronger than usual among tight ends

It’s certainly possible the Titans may dip into both pools in order to replenish the position.

Here’s a quick look at six tight ends – three who’ll be in the draft, three scheduled to hit free agency – who might draw the Titans’ interest:

DRAFT PROSPECTS

Jeremy Ruckert, Ohio State

6-5, 250 pounds

Last season: 26 catches for 309 yards and three touchdowns

What’s to like: Ruckert wasn’t a big-time pass catcher in Ohio State’s high-octane offense, but he was an effective multi-purpose tight end. He is considered an aggressive and physical run blocker, something the Titans would appreciate because of the team’s reliance on the run game. Though Ruckert didn’t get a ton of targets, he showed good hands and solid run-after-contact ability on the passes that did come his way. It’s worth nothing that over his last three seasons, Ruckert posted 12 touchdowns on just 53 receptions, an average of one touchdown every 4.4 catches. He was clearly a trusted target near the goal line. The Titans would likely be able to grab Ruckert in the third round, and there’s a chance he might still be around in the fourth.

Cade Otton, Washington

6-5, 250 pounds

Last season: 28 catches for 250 yards and one touchdown

What’s to like: Otton is another prospect who should be available in the third round – and possibly the fourth – when the Titans pick. He’s not a dynamic pass-catcher who’s going to become the focal point of the aerial attack. But just like Ruckert, he’s a player who can produce in the running game and passing game. He’s considered a good route runner and a good athlete, traits that helped him total 91 career catches for 1,026 yards and nine touchdowns. And he’s got both the frame and the willingness to serve as a good blocker, something the Titans have consistently sought at the position.

Charlie Kolar, Iowa State

6-6, 256 pounds

Last season: 62 catches for 756 yards and six touchdowns

What’s to like: Kolar put up some gaudy receiving numbers for the Cyclones, catching 168 passes for 2,181 yards (13-yard average) and 23 touchdowns in his four seasons. He’s not a player who’s going to frighten NFL defenses with his speed, but he can shield defenders and make contested catches. Kolar doesn’t get the run-blocking accolades that players like Ruckert and Otton do, but he does seem to have enough size and willingness so that it isn’t a huge drawback. Kolar might come off the board as early as the third round, but other projections have him going in the fourth or fifth.

FREE-AGENT PROSPECTS

Dalton Schultz, Dallas

6-5, 244 pounds

Last season: 78 catches for 808 yards and eight touchdowns

What’s to like: After making a combined 13 receptions in his first two NFL seasons, Schultz has quietly turned into one of the league’s better tight ends over the last two years – posting 141 catches for 1,423 yards (10.1-yard average) and 12 touchdowns while playing all 33 games for the Cowboys. Still just 25 years old, Schultz appears to have plenty of productive seasons ahead of him. And he is one of the top blocking tight ends on the market as well, perhaps in part because of his background at Stanford. He earned a Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade of 69.4 last season, and a 67.3 pass-blocking grade. The combination of traits makes Schultz an attractive target who wouldn’t often have to come off the field.

David Njoku, Cleveland

6-4, 246

Last season: 36 catches for 475 yards and four touchdowns

What’s to like: It seems like there’s forever been a sense of disappointment about Njoku, as the 2017 first-round pick (29th overall) has only posted one season with more than 40 catches. That came in 2018, his second year in the league, when he totaled 56 receptions for 639 yards and four touchdowns. But Njoku is still just 25 years old, and his production last season – his best since 2018 – showed some resiliency and maturity that were question marks in his past. Njoku does have the ability to be a difference-maker in the passing game, evidenced by his career average of almost 12 yards per reception. He‘s also developed his blocking skills well as a pro, with PFF giving him a 64.1 grade as a run blocker and 72.4 grade as a pass blocker last season.

C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati

6-6, 260 pounds

Last season: 49 catches for 493 yards and five touchdowns

What’s to like: Like Schultz and Njoku, Uzomah can catch passes and help out the run game, the latter a priority for getting on the field regularly for Mike Vrabel. Uzomah is 29, four years older than the other two. But he rebounded from a torn Achilles in 2020 to post career numbers in receptions, yards and TDs last season. Outside of the Achilles issue, which limited him to two games that season. durability doesn’t seem to be an issue. Uzomah played 15 games in 2018, 16 in 2019 and 16 in 2021. He isn’t going to maul defenders on the offensive line, but his PFF grades as a run blocker (60.6) and pass blocker (70.6) are pretty good in a day and age when many tight ends struggle with that part of the game.