The Tennessee Titans 2022 Draft is widely known for the trade involving A.J. Brown going to the Eagles, but if you look deeper than just the trade, you will see multiple players that have elevated themselves into secured starting roles in just 2 years. To go along with that, though, there are certainly picks that have not lived up to the hype, but given time, may be able to fulfill their draft day expectations.
Treylon Burks; R1 P18; Arkansas WR
Burks's tenure is Nashville has not started the way that anyone in the organization wanted - or expected. He came in with hefty expectations because he was selected with the pick given to Tennessee in the A.J. Brown trade with Philadelphia. He was hyped up to be the A.J. Brown replacement, and was expected to make the blockbuster trade hurt less. Fast forward to 2 years later, and his play has never really gotten off the ground. He has wrestled with injuries in his short career, and when on the field, has lacked consistency.
Fans appear to be split on whether they want Burks to return, but in my opinion, I think giving him one more shot is the only realistic and financially responsible option. Cutting him would make no sense considering his rookie contract, and the return they would get for him in a trade would be next to nothing. Also, Burks has shown flashes of what he was advertised to be multiple times, it is just about getting that out of him more consistently.
Roger McCreary; R2 P35; Auburn DB
This pick was acquired in a trade with the Jets, and the Titans decided to use it on defense. McCreary has been a serviceable corner both years he has been in the league. He has been able to stay healthy despite seemingly every other Tennessee player falling victim to the injury bug. McCreary could possibly be the only returning starter at the corner position next season, as Kristian Fulton and Sean M-B's contracts are expiring. I have said before that I think he works better as a CB2, so if they do not return, I expect Ran Carthon & co. to go out and get another one to support McCreary.
Overall, the Titans did with this pick what they could, it was nothing too flashy, but he is a player currently starting on this team and possibly will be for years to come. It was a decent value pick that filled a major need at the time, and that is all fans could ask for.
Nicholas Petit-Frere; R3 P69; Ohio State OT
NPF was a starter in his first year in the league, and was on pace to start year 2 before he was suspended 4 games for gambling. When he came back this past season, though, he looked shaky. He quickly fell to injury, causing him to get shoulder surgery and ending his season. Petit-Frere looked great for the first 8 games of his career, but also struggled in the second half of his rookie season. It is still a possibility that he turns it around and opens the next season as starter, but I believe that it is more likely that they sign a free agent or draft a replacement.
Getting (what was) an instant starter at tackle in the 3rd Round was once again good value, but NPF just about fell off a cliff after a hot start. If he can go back to how he started, it would very likely save this organization a lot of time and money that would have been spent on a new tackle.
Malik Willis; R3 P86; Liberty QB
Early on in the draft process, Willis was being talked about as the possible #2 pick, but those talks quickly faded. Willis' stock suddenly plummeted, and just 1 QB was taken in the first 2 rounds (Kenny Pickett). In his rookie season, he was forced to start significantly earlier than anyone in the organization had expected. Ryan Tannehill went down with injury and Malik Willis stepped in to start 2 games. While he was able to keep the games close, he is still yet to throw a passing TD through 4 games started in his NFL career. Late in the 2022-23 season, the Titans opted to start Josh Dobbs, who had been with the team for less than a week, in a win-or-go-home game against the Jags.
While I do believe he was worth the risk at the time, I do not see Malik Willis carving out a real role other than backup on this team, and even being a backup could be tough.
Hassan Haskins; R4 P131; Michigan RB
Haskins did not get much significant PT in his rookie season, son, with his only real reps coming in a throw away game vs. Dallas in Week 17. In the offseason, he was sued by his girlfriend for physical assault and was later injured and placed on season-ending IR.
It has been a rough road so far in the young career of Hassan Haskins, and it will likely only get harder from here. Even if he manages to make the roster next season, carries will likely be scarce. Haskins in college was like a shadow of Derrick Henry - a downhill power back who runs through defenders instead of around them - so fans can still have hope that he could turn into something.
Chigoziem Okonkwo; R4 P143; Maryland TE
After the departure of Delanie Walker, the Titans went through a string of ineffective tight ends in just a couple of years. Anthony Firkser, Mycole Pruitt, and even Jonnu Smith were all nonstarters for a team that was spoiled with years of play from a generational star. Okonkwo was drafted in the 4th round, he joined a tight end room consisting of Austin Hooper and Geoff Swaim.
Okonkwo led all rookie tight ends in receiving yards, and was in the top 10 of all qualified players in yards per route run. He quickly carved out a role for himself in year 1, and became the starting tight end in year 2. Despite a slow start in 2023, Okonkwo recovered for the second half, and showed the same potential he did as a rookie.
Kyle Philips; R5 P163; UCLA WR
Philips started off hot in his rookie year, as he was the leading receiver for the Titans in their week 1 matchup against the Giants. Shortly after that, though, he started to struggle with injuries, as little injuries piled up, landing him on season-ending IR. At the start of his second season, he was once again injured, this time in training camp. He was out for the first couple of weeks of the season, and the snaps he saw in his rookie season slowly disappeared.
Despite a seemingly strong connection that Philips had with rookie quarterback Will Levis, Mike Vrabel & co. have made the second year UCLA product a healthy scratch multiple times throughout the 2023 season.
Theo Jackson; R6 P204; Tennessee Safety
From the start of his career, playing time was scarce for Theo Jackson. He was in the depth chart behind Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker, and struggled to find any snaps whatsoever. Just a few weeks into his rookie season, he was signed off of the Titans practice squad onto the Vikings active roster. On the Vikings, he has played in 26 games across his 2 seasons, and appears to have carved out a role on a perennial wild card-contending team.
Jackson is the only player from this class that did not make the roster the second year, although he did find a place on the Vikings.
Chance Campbell; R6 P219; Ole Miss LB
Campbell, much like Jackson, struggled to find a role early in his rookie season with the Titans. He did not play any snaps in his rookie season, and finds himself on injured reserve in the second. When he recovers from his injury in the offseason, Campbell will likely have to get to immediate work if he hopes to make the Week 1 roster next season.
Overall, Chance Campbell reflects the "stereotype" of a late round pick. He is a guy who bounces back and forth between practice squad and active roster. Campbell shined in college, but has struggled to reflect the same thing in the NFL.
-Eli Knight
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