Tag: Paris Johnson Jr.

Titans mock draft round-up: Who experts are picking for Tennessee

A mock draft round-up for the Titans ahead of the 2023 NFL Combine.

With the 2023 NFL Combine right around the corner (Feb. 28-March 6), we’re taking a look at who draft experts are taking for the Tennessee Titans in their respective mock drafts.

Most experts have the Titans taking an offensive tackle in Round 1, with Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. and Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski being the most popular choices.

And they are good ones, as Johnson and Skoronski are two of the best tackles in this year’s draft and would fill a major need for a Titans team that has multiple holes upfront, including at guard, also.

Without further ado, let’s take a trip through recent mock drafts and see who experts are pegging to the Titans.

2023 NFL Draft: Top 50 prospects 1.0 (pre-combine version)

Top 50 draft prospects? Touchdown Wire’s initial Big Board reflects the first comprehensive stage of the 2023 pre-draft evaluation process.

There’s a lot that goes into a Big Board, and where you are in the evaluation process matters a lot. NFL teams have area scouts and scouting directors reporting to general managers; they’ve done the work on prospects all year long. If you’re writing about the NFL in-season, and sneaking away to watch as much college tape as possible, you’re scrambling a bit after the Super Bowl and before the scouting combine just to catch up.

So, full disclosure: This first Big Board of mine for the 2023 draft process reflects the 100-plus players I’ve watched to a point where I can reasonably assess what I think their NFL potential might be. Before the combine, I’ll watch a bunch more tape, and hopefully become more refined in the overall.

Once that happens, we’ll be building all kinds of position lists, single-subject evaluations, and mock drafts reflecting the widening of that study.

For the ramp-up to the scouting combine, which really gets going in early March, here are my Top 50 draft prospects, regardless of positional value.

A few notes on this first Top 50:

Jalen Carter won’t move from the top spot; of that, I’m fairly sure.

C.J. Stroud’s Georgia game really flipped my evaluation of his game; I saw (we all saw) a functional mobility we hadn’t seen at a consistent level before. I don’t know why it took so long, but it’s there against a truly great defense, and I’m good with that when I attach functional mobility as a key attribute.

In ranking Florida’s Anthony Richardson over Kentucky’s Will Levis, I’m going with Richardson’s obvious improvement as a thrower in the second half of his first season as a starter, while I haven’t seen the same level of development from Levis. I’m actually bumping Levis up a bit because of the surrounding cast concerns, but I’m not on the “He’s the next Josh Allen” bandwagon at all.

A few near-misses who may make the next Big Board based on combine and Pro Day performances, as well as further tape analysis:

Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker
Oregon LB Noah Sewell
Tulane RB Tyjae Spears
Michigan DT Mazi Smith
Clemson TE Davis Allen
TCU OG Steve Avila
Alabama DB Eli Ricks
Houston WR Nathaniel “Tank” Dell
UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu

With all that in mind, here’s Touchdown Wire’s introductory Top 50 draft prospects for 2023.

New College Wires NFL mock draft has C.J. Stroud on the rise

Do you think Stroud will go this high? #GoBucks

We’re still a couple of months away from seeing Ohio State football players’ names crawl across the screen in the annual spectacle that is the NFL draft, and we’re about to see a ramp-up in news and coverage as it gets closer and closer.

We like to check in on various NFL mock drafts as they come out as rumors and projections change like the wind, and it just so happens we have our own resident expert, Patrick Conn, to whet the appetite.

In his latest 2023 NFL mock draft, Conn has three Ohio State players getting selected in the first round of the little get-together among NFL executives, scouts, and thousands of friends. One of the most notable things that seem to be happening as well is that Buckeye quarterback C.J. Stroud’s stock seems to be rising.

Here’s how it all breaks down for the three OSU players with Stroud making a major jump up the board.

 

2023 NFL draft film room: Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr.

See for yourself what makes Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the 2023 NFL draft class

It’s officially NFL draft season, so it’s time to get to know the best players at every positions in the 2023 class.

What makes Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. one of this year’s top offensive tackle prospects?

Watch the tape and see for yourself:

Eight Ohio State players invited to this year’s NFL scouting combine

C.J. Stroud leads eight Buckeyes invited to the NFL Combine. #GoBucks

The Ohio State football program is an NFL factory second to none in college football, and that’s about to be realized again.

That’s because it’s about the time of year when we start to hype the upcoming NFL draft more than usual. The Super Bowl is just a few days away, and after that, it’ll be all draft all the time if you’re an NFL fan.

Part of the shenanigans includes the annual NFL scouting combine that takes place in Indianapolis. Some of the so-called shoo-in draftees will be poked, prodded and measured through various interviews and skills assessments to provide a better look to NFL scouts and executives.

There is always a significant contingent of Ohio State players that take part in all the hoopla, and that’s the case again. This year, eight Buckeyes will head to Lucas Oil Stadium from Thursday, March 2, through Sunday, March 5.

Here’s a look at all eight players and a brief outlook on each.

Ohio State receives a crystal ball projection for recently offered offensive lineman

This Ohioan is trending to stay home #GoBucks

If there is one position Ohio State missed on during the 2023 recruiting cycle that makes the need in 2024 that much greater, it’s offensive tackle.

The Buckeyes signed Luke Montgomery, Joshua Padilla, Austin Siereveld, and Miles Walker as their offensive line group this past class, with Montgomery expected to be a guy in the mix. Walker is viewed as a viable tackle option as well, but he was the lowest-rated player in the class, so the Connecticut native is viewed as more of a project.

With three starters moving on along the offensive line from last season, that means the need is there for head coach [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] and offensive line coach [autotag]Justin Frye[/autotag] to rectify the situation in 2024. The good news is Bill Kurelic of 247Sports, an Ohio State insider, logged a crystal ball projection for in-state lineman [autotag]Marc Nave Jr.[/autotag] to join the Buckeye class.

The 6-foot, 5-inch, 315-pounder was offered this past week Nave Jr. played mostly guard in high school and he doesn’t have the prototypical size for a left tackle, he sure does for right tackle, boasting a 6-foot, 9-inch wingspan. He also has enough versatility to shuffle inside or outside like the Buckeye coaching staff has done in the past with [autotag]Paris Johnson Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Dawand Jones[/autotag] before moving them back to the outside.

It’s good news that Kurelic believes that Nave will end up with the Buckeyes; he is one of the most respected Ohio State insiders in the business.

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2023 NFL draft: Strengths and weaknesses of PFF’s top-5 OT prospects

A look at the strengths and weaknesses of PFF’s top-five OT prospects in the 2023 NFL draft.

The Tennessee Titans have a massive offseason ahead of themselves, as new general manager, Ran Carthon, will have a lot of tough decisions to make over the coming months.

One of the most important items on the upcoming agenda will undoubtedly be to fix the Titans’ disastrous offensive line from a season ago. Fortunately for them, the Titans should have plenty of available options at their disposal when they’re officially on the clock in the 2023 NFL draft.

Tennessee is currently slated to have the No. 11 overall pick this spring. However, as we all know, an unforeseen trade can suddenly change everything.

Nonetheless, this article is going to cover the top-five offensive tackle prospects as ranked by Pro Football Focus.

In fact, we will be covering different position groups over the coming days and weeks until every spot has been hit. Then, shortly after the combine, I will be releasing my own personal rankings to compare and contrast them to the universal consensus.

Now that all of that has been covered, let’s go ahead and dive right into PFF’s top-five offensive tackle prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, and then talk about some of their strengths and weaknesses.

Is Ohio State one of 10 schools post-signing day with title aspirations?

Will Ohio State be in the title mix once again? #GoBucks

If you have been locked away for the past 10 years, this headline would be a surprise. but almost every year [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] is in the mix for a national title. This past season, the Buckeyes were the only team that ultimately threatened Georgia, the eventual College Football Playoff champions.

The 2023 version of the Buckeyes may look like a group that’s going through a transition, but [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag]’s team doesn’t rebuild, it reloads. The loss of quarterback [autotag]C.J. Stroud[/autotag] and offensive tackles [autotag]Paris Johnson Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Dawand Jones[/autotag] will be tough to overcome, but that is normal procedure in college football.

As signing day has come to a close, 247Sports looked at 10 teams who have title potential this season. Find out below which schools could contend for a CFP title according to 247Sports and a quick takeaway for each.

Titans select OT, WR in the Draft Wire’s latest mock

This is the first time we’ve seen Rashee Rice mocked to the Titans.

It’s no secret that the Tennessee Titans need an influx of talent on the offensive side of the ball.

The offensive line and wide receiver groups in particular need to be revamped if this team is ever going to get back to being a legitimate contender again.

The Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling once again has the Titans addressing both spots in his most recent mock draft. With the Titans’ first selection, he takes arguably the best offensive lineman in the draft, Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. This is what Easterling had to say about the selection:

With Johnston off the board, the Titans shift their focus to the offensive line, which desperately needs help both inside and out. In this scenario, they take the first blocker off the board, landing a battle-tested prospect who has played both tackle spots as well as guard, all with a track record of success against top competition.

Johnson has the potential to be a franchise pillar along the offensive line for a team that desperately needs one. I did a full breakdown of him in the tweet below.

In the second round, Easterling has the Titans selecting the talented wide receiver out of SMU, Rashee Rice.

According to Pro Football Focus, Rice had the 12th-highest grade (85.9) in the country amongst 1,047 eligible wide receivers. Here’s a bit more on the wideout, per The Draft Network’s Joe Marino:

Top Reasons to Buy In:

  • Ball skills
  • Size and athleticism 
  • Alpha mentality 
  • Ability to make defenders miss in space and win after the catch
  • Consistent development throughout his time in college 

Top Reasons For Concern:

  • The need to acclimate to a more diverse route tree
  • Adjusting to a pro-style offense that affords him less space 
  • Developing consistency with drops 

Ideal Role: Featured receiver that can work both from the slot and out wide 

Scheme Fit: Spread 

Prospect Comparison: Chris Godwin (2017 NFL Draft) 

The 6-foot wideout is a productive playmaker who seemingly possesses an alpha mentality on the football field. The SMU product is coming off a dominant season in which he totaled 1,355 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 96 receptions.

He will need to polish up some aspects of his game to fully maximize his talents at the pro level, but his overall skill set would be a nice complement to Treylon Burks and the Titans’ offense.

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Predicting where Ohio State players will land in NFL draft

Predicting where Ohio State players will land in NFL Draft #GoBucks #NFLDraft

The only NFL game remaining is the Super Bowl. That means 30 of the 32 teams in the league are focusing on the NFL draft and how to build for their futures. Now the NFL draft may not mean much to your average college football fan, but Ohio State fans love paying attention to former alumni and cheering them on in the big league.

The Buckeye program has a strong pipeline to the NFL. Even if you sit on the bench during your time at Ohio State, you are still likely to get a shot in the NFL, because of the prestige of the program. Realistically there are eight legit NFL prospects coming from Ohio State into the league this year, and I wanted to break down where they might get selected.