By all accounts, the Tennessee Titans had no less than a solid 2021 NFL draft, with most experts giving general manager Jon Robinson a positive grade after adding eight players during the three-day event.
CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson recently ranked every team’s draft class, from one to 32, and the Titans landed right in the middle of the pack at No. 17 on the list.
Wilson’s favorite Titans pick was cornerback Caleb Farley in the first round. He views fellow corner Elijah Molden as Tennessee’s best value pick, while the selection of wide receiver Dez Fitzpatrick was the most surprising in Wilson’s eyes.
Favorite pick: Caleb Farley was our CB1 for much of the draft process but that changed after he had a back procedure in March. Effectively, that meant any team willing to take a chance on him would be getting a top-10 talent. The Titans have enormous needs at pass rusher and in the secondary so for them to get him with the 22nd overall pick feels like stealing — assuming Farley stays healthy. We ultimately had a late first-round grade on him.
Best value: Washington’s Elijah Molden.The Titans didn’t get an edge rusher until the fourth round (Rashad Weaver), but we have no issue with the decision when it came to their third-round pick; Molden didn’t time well at his pro day but you wouldn’t have known it to watch him at Washington. He’s primarily a slot corner but as his former teammate Levi Onwuzurike told us earlier this year, Molden was one of the smartest players he’s ever seen, comparing him to Tyrann Mathieu. Tennessee reshaped its secondary with two of its first four selections. We gave a mid-second-round grade on Molden.
Most surprising pick: Louisville’s Dez Fitzpatrick went a nearly a full round and a half before we expected in part because the wide receiver didn’t always separate from defensive backs and he wasn’t a top-end yards-after-catch guy. That said, his speed (he blazed a 4.43 40 at his pro day) and 6-foot-2 frame indicate that he can get better in both areas of concern.
Tennessee’s ranking places them ninth in the AFC, but no other AFC South team was ranked higher. The Houston Texans (No. 21), the Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 22) and the Indianapolis Colts (No. 24) were all lower.
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