NASHVILLE – The NFL Draft is coming to Nashville, and so is ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr.
And Kiper is excited about it.
"This will be (draft) No. 36 (for me) with ESPN coming up," Kiper said on a conference call on Tuesday. "It was New York, and then it became Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas. I'm looking forward to being down there. It's a great area. It's a great area to get to even if you get a chance to take a vacation without having to work it.
"It should be fun. Everybody is looking forward to going to Nashville."
The NFL Draft is scheduled to take place the evenings of April 25 (Thursday) and April 26 (Friday) and during the afternoon of April 27 (Saturday).
This much we know:
- The main NFL Draft stage will be on First and Broadway.
- Schermerhorn Symphony Center will be host to Selection Square, which features the team tables where representatives from each club will make their draft selections.
- The NFL Draft Experience, a three-day football festival, will be held in the parking lots and areas surrounding Nissan Stadium.
- The NFL Draft Red Carpet will take place on April 25 (Thursday) at The Green at Riverfront Park.
- Concerts with "high level talent" are being planned for on the main stage on Broadway all three days, and on another stage across the Cumberland River. The performers will be announced at a later date.
- Admission is free. There will be limited seating areas (and some VIP areas), but the idea is most fans can stand, and walk.
- The NFL and the city are expecting crowds approaching 300,000 for the weekend in an area organizers are calling the largest festival footprint ever for an NFL Draft.
Also, the Titans are scheduled to make the 19th overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft.
ESPN, ABC and NFL Network will all be set up with broadcast booths on Broadway.
In his Mock Draft 2.0, Kiper has the Titans taking Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, a 6-foot-4, 315-pounder from Clemson, in the first round.
"Everybody, when it was announced, I know from us, all the friends, everybody wants to go to Nashville," Kiper said. "So I'm looking forward to that, being down there. It should be great.
"And I think the Titans, they are picking at No.19, there will be a lot of interest in them, trying to get back to where they want to be. So I think everybody is looking forward to being in Nashville."
TitansOnline.com looks back at some current and former Titans players taking part in the NFL Scouting Combine. (AP Photos)
RB Derrick Henry
OT Taylor Lewan
RB Derrick Henry
WR Kenny Britt
LB Zach Brown
DT Jurrell Casey
WR Justin Hunter
OT Jack Conklin
RB Chris Johnson
QB Jake Locker
WR Rishard Matthews
QB Marcus Mariota
LB Derrick Morgan
RB DeMarco Murray
LB Brian Orakpo
S Da'Norris Searcy
WR Tajae Sharpe
TE Craig Stevens
RB Lendale White
LB Kamerion Wimbley
LB Avery Williamson
LB Stephen Tulloch
TE Jared Cook
RB Dexter McCluster
LB Colin McCarthy
CB Coty Sensabaugh
S Daimion Stafford
WR Kendall Wright
WR Tre McBride
DL Daquan Jones
FB Jalston Fowler
C Brian Schwenke
CB LeShaun Sims
G Chance Warmack
LB Kevin Dodd
WR Corey Davis
CB Adoree' Jackson
WR Taywan Taylor
TE Jonnu Smith
LB Jayon Brown
LB Josh Carraway
RB Bishop Sankey
LB Akeem Ayers
G Leroy Harris
Arizona defensive back Dane Cruikshank runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Arizona defensive back Dane Cruikshank runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Arizona defensive back Dane Cruikshank runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Monday, March 5, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Arizona defensive back Dane Cruikshank runs a drill during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Monday, March 5, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Arizona defensive back Dane Cruikshank runs the 40-yard dash during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Monday, March 5, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Arizona defensive back Dane Cruikshank (DB48) participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Monday, March 5, 2018 in Indianapolis. (AJ Mast via AP Images)
Arizona defensive back Dane Cruikshank runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Arizona defensive back Dane Cruikshank is seen at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Monday, March 5, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
Arizona defensive back Dane Cruikshank runs a drill during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Monday, March 5, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Arizona defensive back Dane Cruikshank (DB48) participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Monday, March 5, 2018 in Indianapolis. (AJ Mast via AP Images)
Arizona defensive back Dane Cruikshank runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Monday, March 5, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Arizona defensive back Dane Cruikshank runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Monday, March 5, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Arizona defensive back Dane Cruikshank runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Monday, March 5, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry at the NFL scouting Combine, Saturday, March 3, 2018, in Indianapolis. (Todd Rosenberg via AP)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry at the NFL scouting Combine, Saturday, March 3, 2018, in Indianapolis. (Todd Rosenberg via AP)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL football scouting combine on Sunday, March 4, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry (DL39) participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 4, 2018 in Indianapolis. (AJ Mast via AP Images)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry at the NFL scouting Combine, Saturday, March 3, 2018, in Indianapolis. (Todd Rosenberg via AP)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry runs during a drill at the NFL football scouting combine on Sunday, March 4, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry runs the 40-yard dash during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, March 4, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry performs in a drill seen at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry is seen at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry performs in a drill seen at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry is seen at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry runs the 40-yard dash during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, March 4, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans at the NFL scouting Combine, Saturday, March 3, 2018, in Indianapolis. (Todd Rosenberg via AP)
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans at the NFL scouting Combine, Saturday, March 3, 2018, in Indianapolis. (Todd Rosenberg via AP)
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans at the NFL scouting Combine, Saturday, March 3, 2018, in Indianapolis. (Todd Rosenberg via AP)
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans at the NFL scouting Combine, Saturday, March 3, 2018, in Indianapolis. (Todd Rosenberg via AP)
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans runs a drill during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, March 4, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Logan Bowles via AP)
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans at the NFL scouting Combine, Saturday, March 3, 2018, in Indianapolis. (Todd Rosenberg via AP)
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans runs a drill during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, March 4, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans runs a drill during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, March 4, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
