Which Titans Day 3 pick could be a hidden gem?

Shaun Calderon chooses the Day 3 pick who he believes has the best chance to be a hidden gem for the Titans.

Every single season, teams across the league find hidden gems who were largely overlooked for a variety of reasons. Either these young players were drafted later than their talent warranted, or they were overlooked altogether.

Last season alone, the Tennessee Titans found two potential stars in the making on Day 3 or later.

With the very last pick in the fourth round, the Titans selected Chigoziem Okonkwo, who looked like he could become the next dominant tight end in Tennessee sooner rather than later. The Titans also lured standout punter Ryan Stonehouse to Tennessee after he somehow went undrafted.

This season, there are a few candidates who could become this year’s hidden gem. Truthfully, you could make an argument for any of the Day 3 guys.

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Tight end Josh Whyle figures to have a role as the second tight end whenever the Titans opt to use 12-personnel in passing situations.

Meanwhile, wide receiver Colton Dowell has tons of untapped potential as he joins a wide receiver room that is begging for someone other than Treylon Burks to rise to the occasion.

However, I’m going to have to go with the Titans’ sixth-round selection as their top candidate to be this year’s hidden gem.

Former Maryland offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan isn’t a perfect prospect by any means, but I don’t think many of us who truly took the time to evaluate these players expected him to fall to the sixth round, either.

Duncan is an athletically fluid mover who has the physical traits and nastiness that Mike Vrabel admittedly wants in his offensive linemen.

The Maryland product isn’t exactly a plug-and-play prospect, but Duncan has tons of tools in the shed to work with.

He will likely compete for the swing tackle role right out the gate, but he’s someone who could sneakily push for a starting spot as time passes and he continues to develop.

With that said, things won’t always be pretty for the Maryland product, especially early on.

Duncan undoubtedly presented tremendous value in the sixth round, but there’s a reason why he was considered a mid-round prospect by many people (myself included).

His overall inconsistencies on the field is a large reason for that type of projection. Over the last two years, the former Terrapin has accounted for 965 pass-blocking snaps, allowing 24 hurries, 11 sacks, and six quarterback hits over that span, per Pro Football Focus.

Obviously, those numbers aren’t ideal, but like we already said, he was never considered a finished product to begin with. Truth be told, Duncan has lots of work to do from a technical standpoint in order to reach his full potential.

Nonetheless, what really intrigues people is the fact that his good reps are truly impressive, which then makes you wonder what he could eventually become once he gets around NFL coaching on a full-time basis.

Duncan now joins an offensive line in Tennessee that has plenty of questions, and several spots to be had. If everything goes according to plan, he could see the field in a limited capacity as the sixth offensive lineman as soon as this fall.

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