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Despite a 12-5 season and a second straight AFC South title, the top-seeded Tennessee Titans‘ 2021 campaign came to a disappointing end as they were bounced from the postseason in the Divisional Round at home against the Cincinnati Bengals. But Mike Vrabel was still named Coach of the Year, which was undoubtedly deserved.

The Titans didn’t make a significant splash during the free agency and trading period but did address some of their needs in the pass-catching department, signing tight end Austin Hooper and trading for wide receiver Robert Woods.

But they certainly made a splash in the 2022 NFL Draft after trading A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles in a blockbuster move. They immediately drafted his replacement in Treylon Burks and made another big move in acquiring Liberty QB Malik Willis at No. 86.

2022 NFL Draft picks by Tennessee Titans

  • No. 18 Overall: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
  • No. 35 Overall: Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn
  • No. 69 Overall: Nicholas Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State
  • No. 86 Overall: Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
  • No. 131 Overall: Hassan Haskins, RB, Michigan
  • No. 143 Overall: Chig Okonkwo, TE, Maryland
  • No. 163 Overall: Kyle Phillips, WR, UCLA
  • No. 204 Overall: Theo Jackson, S, Tennessee
  • No. 219 Overall: Chance Campbell, LB, Ole Miss

No. 18 Overall: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

Tennessee Titans 2022 NFL Draft pick Treylon Burks
Tennessee Titans 2022 NFL Draft pick Treylon Burks

Well, I guess if you’re going to trade away a big, strong wideout to avoid paying him a monster extension, you might as well go ahead and draft his replacement. And that’s exactly what the Titans did in drafting Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks.

But Burks is actually a couple of inches bigger. At 6’3″ and 225 pounds, his size and speed combination might be the best in this particular class of receivers.

Grade: A

No. 35 Overall: Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn

Whether he lines up in the slot or against outside wide receivers, Roger McCreary has the quick feet to excel as a press-man corner. He doesn’t excel in run support and might not have the size to match up with premier options, though, which prevents the Titans from racking up two straight highly graded picks.

Grade: C

No. 69 Overall: Nicholas Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State

Even if it takes Nicholas Petit-Frere a few years to replace Taylor Lewan as the protector of Ryan Tannehill’s blind side, he’s an athletic and talented prospect who should be getting a few years to develop without the pressure of taking high-leverage snaps. This was still a good value for Tennessee, if only for the upside.

Grade: A-

No. 86 Overall: Malik Willis, QB, Liberty

At long last, Malik Willis is off the board at No. 86 to the Tennessee Titans. I’m still not sold on him as an elite NFL quarterback, but the upside is there, and he’ll now get to sit for a couple of years behind a veteran in Ryan Tannehill.

Grade: B

Day 3 Picks

No. 131 Overall: Hassan Haskins, RB, Michigan

So are the Titans thinking they will have more issues with Derrick Henry? Don’t get me wrong, I like Haskins, but he’s not a fourth-rounder.

Grade: C

No. 143 Overall: Chig Okonkwo, TE, Maryland

l like the Titans grabbing Okonkwo in this spot. Tennessee hasn’t typically had great tight ends recently, so perhaps they found themselves a gem to end Round 4.

Grade: B+

No. 163 Overall: Kyle Phillips, WR, UCLA

Losing both A.J. Brown and Julio Jones, it’s not surprising to see the Titans take so many receivers. And Kyle Phillips, a speedy wideout from UCLA, is a decent-enough choice at No. 163.

Grade: C+

No. 204 Overall: Theo Jackson, S, Tennessee

Even in the sixth round, Theo Jackson might be a bit of a reach. It’s nice of the Titans to stay in the state, but they could have gone in a different direction here and done just as well.

Grade: C-

No. 219 Overall: Chance Campbell, LB, Ole Miss

There’s some sort of pun to be made about the Titans taking a “Chance” on Campbell, but I can’t find it. There were worse picks to make at No. 219, but better ones as well.

Grade: C

Stats courtesy of Sports Reference

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Luke Norris

Luke Norris began his sportswriting career in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2020. The former Section Editor of the NFL and Motorsports sections, he now spends his time here in the role of Senior Writer-Programmer. His well-rounded sports knowledge allows him to cover the NFL, NBA, PGA Tour, MLB, boxing, WWE, and NASCAR for Sportscasting.

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In addition to his work here at Sportscasting, Luke’s work has appeared on  The Sportster, Inquisitr, GiveMeSport, FanSided, Yahoo! Fox Sports, and Sports Illustrated.