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One position that has been lacking in terms of offensive production for the Tennessee Titans this season has been at the tight end spot.
Anthony Firkser has been a major disappointment, and while Geoff Swaim and MyCole Pruitt are both excellent blockers, nobody is mistaking them for elite receiving options in the passing game.
With that in mind, the Titans could look to draft a tight end in the 2022 NFL draft, and that’s exactly what Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield has them doing in the first round.
In his mock draft, Schofield has the Titans taking Texas A&M tight end Jalen Wydermyer in the first round. Here’s his analysis:
What we have seen the past few weeks from the Tennessee Titans illustrates just how much their offense fits together when key players are healthy, but how differently things look when those players are absent. Sure, a lot of the Titans offense flows from Derrick Henry, but his presence also opens up the middle of the field for crossing routes off of play-action designs, with players like wide receiver A.J. Brown working the middle of the field.
Another piece to this puzzle? A tight end that can attack that area as well. With the departure of Jonnu Smith in free agency, that component is missing. The Titans look to shore up that piece of their offense puzzle, adding Jalen Wydermyer from Texas A&M.
While everyone loves to still mention the departure of Jonnu Smith, lest we forget he only produced 114 catches for 1,302 yards and 16 touchdowns in four seasons (60 games, 53 starts), so it’s not like he was some kind of offensive juggernaut.
Now, this is not to disparage Smith, but there’s no debating that his tenure in Nashville was at least somewhat disappointing, partly because the Titans simply didn’t use his freak athleticism enough.
Unless that approach is going to change moving forward, the Titans aren’t going to prioritize a tight end this early. Instead, they’d be better suited waiting until later in the draft.
Putting that aside for now in order to focus more on the player chosen for the Titans here, Wydermyer just put together arguably his best college season in 2021, reeling in career-highs in receiving yards (515) and yards per catch (12.9), while also adding four touchdowns.
Here’s a more in-depth look at what Wydermyer brings to the table, courtesy of Jordan Reid of The Draft Network.
Pros: Wydermyer is built like an NBA small forward with a tall, but lean frame combined with a high waist. In the Aggies offense, he plays from a variety of platforms as he’s received playing experience in-line, from the slot, on the perimeter, and from the hip of offensive tackles. While in those spots, he’s tasked with responsibilities as both an F and Y tight end. Performing as both, he’s gained a wealth of experience as both a blocker and pass-catcher. Wydermyer is a long strider that isn’t sudden, but he fully understands how to create small hints of daylight. He utilizes a wide frame to lean on matchups prior to separating. Using his body structure as a shield between the ball and defenders, he’s a big, linear-built target that survives and thrives off of making contested catches aimed inside or outside of the squares of his strike zone. An average tempo vertical mover, Wydermyer is a savvy route-runner that understands how to attack certain techniques played against him. Aware of how to generate free releases and avoid clutter on the first level, he’s a reliable target in the short-to-intermediate areas. Sifting and maneuvering through traffic, he’s an adequate seam attacker that also has made a living off of making catches over the middle of the field (53 of 69 targets came in between the hashes, 2020). 10-to-12 yard dig/out routes have been the most common routes for Wydermyer to date and continue to be the most consistent. A dominant threat in the red zone during his career, all six of his touchdown receptions last season came in that area and 11 of his 12 career scoring receptions have come in the red zone.
Cons: Involved frequently in the team’s running game from various different pre-snap alignments, he’s most frequently been tasked with serving as a blocker on counter run concepts and zone-based designs from both an in-line and hip positioning alongside both offensive tackles. Wydermyer’s blocking development is far from being competent, as he lacks strength at the point of attack. Frequently sliding off of blocks after initiating contact, his upper and lower halves are hardly ever in sync. He has moments where he’s able to square up and land his frame, but the reps are rare of him sustaining and driving. Because of low-level technique and strength levels, he camouflages as a blocker and attempts to fit in alongside his counterparts. As a pass-catcher, although he’s a bigger target, he’ll need to expand his route packages and continue to add ways to win to his repertoire. Lacking twitch and consistent vertical threatening abilities, athletic second-and third-level threats could find success against him in man-to-man coverage when he’s unable to shield or box them out at the catch point.
The next NFL draft will begin on April 28, 2022, lasting three days. It will take place in Las Vegas.
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