Draft Grades for the Titans 2024 Draft Class

NASHVILLE – The draft picks are in, seven of them in all:

-Alabama OT JC Latham (1st round, 7th overall)
-Texas NT T'Vondre Sweat (2nd round,No.38 overall)
-North Carolina LB Cedric Gray (4th round, No.106 overall)
-Louisville CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (5th round, No.146 overall)
-Tulane WR Jha'Quan Jackson (6th round, No.182 overall)
-Miami (Fla.) LB James Williams (7th round, No.242 overall)
-Michigan OLB Jaylen Harrell (7th round, No.252 overall)

And now, the draft grades are also in.

Here's a look at how some of the analysts graded the 2024 NFL Draft for the Titans:

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
Grade: B.

Best Pick: Fifth-round corner Jarvis Brownlee Jr. will be a nickel starter at some point in his career. Brownlee is a smallish corner, but he can cover.

Worst Pick: T'Vondre Sweat is a risky pick, especially in the second round. He had a DUI earlier in the draft cycle and his weight was a problem at Texas. He needs to get in better shape or this will be a pick that backfires on them. He does have talent.

The Skinny: Getting tackle JC Latham in the first round will pay off in a big way. He will be their starting left tackle for a long time. The Swift pick is feast or famine. Brownlee will prove to be a steal and sixth-round receiver Jha'Quan Jackson can fly and will help the return game.

Chad Reuter, NFL.com
Overall grade: A-minus.

Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: B+
Day 3 grade: B+

Analysis: With Joe Alt off the board, the Titans picked the other top 10-caliber tackle. Latham's a wall on the outside who will excel on either side of the line. The team needed a big body like Sweat on the defensive line and chose him even after Sweat's recent DWI arrest; GM Ran Carthon said he discussed the incident with Sweat, and that Sweat "accepted his responsibility." Tennessee will hope he can be dominant at the next level. The Titans' third-round pick was part of the package to move up for quarterback Will Levis last April.
Gray's recognition skills and quickness make him a fit in the middle of Tennessee's defense. Brownlee has the talent to step into the fray as a rookie and earn a starting job down the line. Jackson's quickness helps fill two needs: depth at receiver and as a returner. Harrell should have been picked much earlier as an edge rusher, a spot where the Titans needed depth.

Mel Kiper, ESPN
Grade: C-plus.

The Titans were a popular team in mock drafts for predictions on the first team to take an offensive tackle, but I said a few times I thought they could trade down from No. 7 and still get one of the best tackles in the class. With Joe Alt gone to the Chargers at No. 5, though, it seemed like Tennessee panicked at least a little bit in selecting JC Latham (7).

Yes, the offense ranked 31st in sack rate per dropback (11.1%) last season and allowed 64 sacks, which were the second most in the history of its franchise. But as I wrote Thursday night, I have doubts about whether Latham can play left tackle, and the Titans have now taken a right tackle and guard in the top 11 in back-to-back drafts. Is that the best use of high picks? I'm not so sure, though I do think Latham can be a physically imposing run-blocker.

In Round 2, Tennessee reached for nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat (38), who I thought was more of a third-rounder because of his inconsistent play and an arrest for driving while intoxicated earlier this month. Cedric Gray (106) could be a steal in Round 4; he might never be great in coverage, but he can blitz off the edge and be a menace between the tackles in the run game. James Williams (242) is a 6-4 safety who likely will have to play linebacker at the next level.

If Latham makes an easy conversion to left tackle and immediately dominates, this class will look much better. As is, I don't love the value overall.

Charles McDonald, Yahoo Sports
Grade: C-plus.

The Titans nailed their first pick, but could have done better the rest of the way. JC Latham is a "set it and forget it" type of offensive tackle who is already penciled in as a starter. It'll be interesting to see how Latham handles being a left tackle in the NFL. He has enough talent to be successful. Getting Cedric Gray in the fourth round could be a long-term steal for the Titans, but overall it wasn't a draft class to get excited about unless T'Vondre Sweat develops into a pass rusher.

Favorite pick: JC Latham, OT, Alabama (7th overall)
Latham was in contention for the fifth overall pick with the Chargers, so the Titans had to be thrilled to land their man with the seventh pick. Latham is a destructive force in the run game and will give Will Levis the time he needs to find Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins downfield. Easy pick. Great prospect at a position of need, not too complicated.

Least favorite pick: T'Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas (38th overall)
Sweat is a big man at 366 pounds and his game is pretty much exactly what you would think. He's a massive, early down run stuffer who doesn't offer much by the way of pass rush for the NFL game. Even though he moved well at the NFL scouting combine, he would need to lose significant weight to be a three-down player in the NFL. It's hard to see how the Titans felt like this was a valuable pick so early in the second round.

Trevor Sikkema, Pro Football Focus
Grade: B.

Latham — Few teams had a more glaring need than the Titans did at offensive tackle. With Joe Alt off the board, Tennessee tabbed Latham as the top remaining tackle. The Alabama product is a massive physical presence, weighing in at 343 pounds with 35-plus-inch arms, and he earned an 80.0-plus pass-blocking grade in back-to-back seasons to finish his college career.

Sweat — Between JC Latham and T'Vondre Sweat, the Titans have added a lot of size within the first 40 picks. When he was on the field, Sweat was extremely productive last season at Texas. He graded above 90.0 as both a run defender and a pass-rusher, finishing first among all FBS defensive tackles in PFF's Wins Above Average metric. He had slid down boards leading up to the draft following a DWI arrest and off-field/conditioning questions, but Tennessee was clearly comfortable enough with those concerns to take him at the top of the second round.

Gray — Gray is at his best defending the run, as his 90 run stops over the past two seasons ranks first among all Power Five players at the position. His 85.5 PFF grade since 2022 ranks third among ACC linebackers.

Brownlee — Brownlee plays aggressively against the run and pass and posted an elite 92.9 run-defense grade over the past three seasons. He mostly played outside at Louisville, but his competitiveness and physicality could make him an impact player in the nickel sooner rather than later.

Jackson — A speedy receiver out of Tulane, Jackson didn't put up a ton of production in his career but averaged over 2.2 yards per route run and 17 yards per catch the past two seasons. Jackson took three punts to the house in his career, which gives him a good chance to stick at the next level if he can stay healthy.

Williams — Williams is a solid player who could make an impact on special teams after being drafted here. He earned an 85.5 grade in 2023 and was the only Power Five safety to earn an 85.0-plus PFF grade in each of the past two seasons.

Harrell — Ranking 196th on PFF's big board, Harrell is a solid draft selection for the Titans. Harrell had solid reps at the Reese's Senior Bowl, but none of his reps are more famous than the first-and-10 in late November 2023 vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes where he disrupted QB Kyle McCord to force an interception.

Ryan McCrystal, Sharp Football Analysis
Grade: B.

Instant impact: JC Latham, OT

Best value: Cedric Gray, LB

Riskiest pick: T'Vondre Sweat, DT

The Titans probably landed themself a stud in JC Latham, though moving him from right to left tackle adds some risk to the equation. Second-round pick T'Vondre Sweat is a boom-or-bust prospect. They need to keep him in shape. Otherwise, he's just a space-eating nose tackle, which has little value in this era of football. Cedric Gray, Jarvis Browlee Jr, and Jaylen Harrell are all intriguing Day 3 selections.

Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News
Grade: B-minus.

Analysis: Credit GM Ran Carthon for being methodical in addressing the most important needs of offensive line, defensive line, and linebacker right away and still coming back to make sure they got at least one upside wideout in the mix for Will Levis. Sweat is an obvious high-risk pick with the potential for big reward, and Latham was worthy early. Watch out for Gray thriving, too.

Bleacher Report
Grade: C.

The Tennessee Titans are expected to build around second-year quarterback Will Levis in 2024. Improving one of the league's most lackluster offensive lines was a must. Taking Alabama's JC Latham at seventh overall should help with that.

"He needs added patience to counterbalance his attacking play style, but he has the tools, skill set and runway to start in year one with Pro Bowl potential within his first contract," Brando Thorn of Bleacher Report wrote.

Latham was ranked behind Penn State's Olumuyiwa Fashanu on the B/R Scouting Department's final big board, so there may be some debate about the choice. However, it's hard not to love the upside Latham brings. He'll quickly upgrade Levis' protection in Tennessee.

In Round 2, the Titans took a flier on Texas' T'Vondre Sweat, who carried some maturity concerns after being arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in early April. Because of those concerns—and concerns over his playing weight—some teams viewed him as a Day 3 prospect, according to ESPN's Matt Miller.

The 6'4½", 366-pound defender may not fit the mold of a modern-day NFL defensive tackle. He offers little in the pass rush and has carried effort questions. He's a powerful space-eater who can contribute early, at least on a rotational basis, but it was an odd gamble for a Titans team that ranked seventh in yards allowed per carry last season.

General manager Ran Carthon found a few intriguing prospects late—Jarvis Brownlee Jr. has the potential to start at cornerback at some point in 2024—but this class isn't likely to push Tennessee into the playoff conversation right away.

Latham addresses arguably the team's biggest need, but the Titans still have questions in the secondary and at edge-rusher. In a division with C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Trevor Lawrence, that's a problem.

Sweat was a risky luxury pick who doesn't help Levis or a pass defense that ranked 23rd in net yards per pass attempt allowed last season.

Danny Kelly, The Ringer
Grade: C-plus.

Football is still a big man's game, and Tennessee really took that idea to heart in this draft. The Titans added two massive men with their first two picks, grabbing the 342-pound offensive tackle JC Latham in the first round before adding 366-pound defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat in the second. Both should be early contributors for the team in the trenches. I liked the selection of cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. in the fifth round, too; he's a feisty cover man who really stood out at Senior Bowl practices. He should provide depth at the cornerback spot. The Jha'Quan Jackson pick is also one to watch; he's a shifty speedster who brings separation skills and vertical speed to the slot

Ben Arthur, FOX Sports
Grade: B-minus.

At the top of the draft, the Titans showed a commitment to physicality and owning the trenches with offensive-minded coach Brian Callahan. They've taken on some risk with that approach — they're moving JC Latham from right to left tackle, and nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat has some conditioning concerns — but if it pans out, Tennessee could be looked at as big winners two to three years now. Apart from safety and tight end, the Titans leave the draft having addressed every other need.

Mark Maske, Washington Post
Grade: C-plus.

The Titans' draft class is huge. They took offensive tackle JC Latham at No. 7 overall, then got DT T'Vondre Sweat early in the second round. That's more than 700 pounds worth of linemen in two picks. It's fair to question whether Latham was the right tackle to take at seventh, and there were off-field issues to consider with Sweat after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated. But as a general rule, devoting resources to the line of scrimmage is not a bad way to construct an NFL roster.

Matt Verdarame, Sports Illustrated
Grade: C-minus.

Analysis: The Titans landed playmaking in free agency with Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley. They made a big trade to acquire L'Jarius Sneed on the perimeter. In the draft, GM Ran Carthon focused on the trenches, landing Latham to anchor his offensive line alongside last year's first-rounder, Peter Skoronski. However, Sweat is a controversial pick after being arrested for suspicion of DWI in April.

Nate Davis, USA Today
Grade: D.

Not their fault that the Chargers took Alt two spots ahead of them, but could they have moved back and added assets rather than sticking and picking Alabama OT JC Latham? The risk is magnified by the decision to move him to second-year QB Will Levis' blind side – Latham played exclusively on the right side in Tuscaloosa – though if anyone is going to make it work, it's legendary O-line coach Bill Callahan. Second-round DT T'Vondre Sweat could be a reach personally and professionally – very possibly a limited two-down player who can't get onto the field to affect games late.

Rob Maaddi, Associated Press
Grade: B.

RT JC Latham (7) will make the transition to the left side to protect Will Levis' blindside. Gambled on DT T'Vondre Sweat (38) earlier than expected but he's a big man who fits a need on the D-line. Came away with a talented group on Day 3, including LB Cedric Gray, WR Jha'Quan Jackson, S James Williams and LB Jaylen Harrell.

Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports
Grade: B-minus.

The Latham pick was a bit surprising, yet it wasn't a brutal selection. Sweat in the top 40 was. After that, GM Ran Carthon pieced together a rock-solid haul. Gray is one of the younger but polished off-ball linebackers in the class, and Jackson can really get down the field with elite burst and long speed.

Williams finds the football frequently because of his length and movement skill. Don't sleep on Harrell, either. He's young and really flashed as a pure outside rusher with a diverse set of pass-rush moves at Michigan.