Taylor Lewan has been a cornerstone for this Franchise since being selected with the 11th pick in the 2014 NFL draft. The three time pro bowler has been officially cut earlier this week with the likes of Robert Woods, Randy Bullock and Zach Cunningham. Taylor has been very vocal recently about the impending release due to his contracts payment structure. But with the moves the Titans have some work to be done to retool this team before the upcoming season. Today we look at some potential replacements at the left tackle position.
- Anton Harrison- Oklahoma
Harrison is on the precipice of being the first OU Tackle drafted in the first round since Lane Johnson in 2013 and Trent Williams in 2010. I would say that is pretty good company to have. Oklahoma has a knack for churning out offensive linemen with the likes of Super Bowl champions Creed Humphreys and Orlando Brown Jr. Now Anton is not a perfect prospect by any means and your not gonna see a lot of highlights of pancakes or big time blocks on tape. But the way he just gets the job done is a glorious thing to watch. His feet as nimble as a fox and his hands placement precision like a sniper. Consensus is he will be a mid to late first round pick. So with the Titans selecting at 11 it may be a bit of a reach but we have seen better talents fall farther in the draft nearly every year so we will not write him off a potential steal at pick 41.
2. Broderick Jones- Georgia
The two time National Champ Bulldog is quite the scene to behold on tape. The redshirt sophomore is the type of player you picture as a Titan offensive lineman. Just a powerful young specimen that desires to get down and dirty in the run game. His initial punch off the ball would pair excellent with a Derrick Henry’s stiff arms to weary defenders. If I had to pick a Tackle that Mike Vrabel falls in love with this is the guy and while he may not be the most polished prospect I believe newly appointed offensive line coach Jason Houghtaling could get the most out of him and turn him into a All-Pro in short order.
3. Paris Johnson Jr.- Ohio State
The Consensus top tackle in the draft class currently by most media outlets is the definition of a swiss army knife of the Tackles. With a mix of size, power, technique and fluidity the former Buckeye should immediately fill into a starting role for whomever selects him in the first round. The only knock he might have is his inexperience at the position as he only played 1 season as a tackle (played right guard in 2021). But that just tells me the ceiling is even higher than anticipated. If you want a player that has the potential to turn into a generational talent come get your man!
4. Peter Skoronski- Northwestern
When you think of a can’t miss prospect in this class Skoronski has to be near the top of that list. After taking over for now Pro Bowler Rashawn Slater the Wildcats didn’t skip a beat with retooling with another sure fire first round talent. Peter grandson of Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame selection Bob Skoronski who led the Packers to their first two NFL championships. Now Peter is cut from the same cloth and is already polished like a diamond as the highest graded pass protector by PFF last season. The main conflict they see when drafting Peter is his arm length which is slightly shorter than you like but I believe this is an overplayed narrative by today’s media. I do not see this as a make or break by today’s standard and I believe he is the most sit and forget it prospect in this Tackle class!
5. Matthew Bergeron- Syracuse
At 6’5 and over 320 lbs Matthew has the prototypical left tackle build but at the same time he does not jump off the tape on film. But that is not always the worse thing for an offensive linemen. He is as steady and as versatile as they come but may lack some of the physical traits that all the others on this list have. His floor is very high though as he only continues to grow as evident from his Freshman season till now. Just like the Big Oranges franchise Bergeron is flying under the radar consistently and very well could be an immediate starter and improvement for this franchise and not cost the capital as the others listed above.