Titans pass on QB, make safe pick with Northwestern OL Peter Skoronski

We knew that quarterback was a strong possibility for the Titans at the top of the draft. Veteran starter Ryan Tannehill, who turns 35 in July, is entering the last year of his contract. And Tennessee had a presence at the pro days for all the top signal-callers of this year's class — Bryce Young (Alabama), C.J. Stroud (Ohio State), Will Levis (Kentucky) and Anthony Richardson (Florida). 

But the Titans had more pressing needs to field a competent offense in 2023 — at wide receiver and on the offensive line, in particular. 

So with the top three quarterbacks off the board by the time they were on the clock (Young, Stroud, Richardson), the Titans' top pick Thursday was a smart, safe play. Tennessee selected Northwestern offensive lineman Peter Skoronski with the No. 11 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He's a plug-and-play starter at left tackle or guard. 

"We did think Peter was going to go a little higher than expected," said Titans general manager Ran Carthon. "But we would have loved for him to fall to us and he did."

Skoronski will most likely compete with free-agent acquisition Andre Dillard in training camp for the left tackle job, with the runner-up moving inside to left guard. 

The 6-foot-4, 313-pound Skoronski started all 33 of his career games at Northwestern at left tackle. His short arms were a big topic of conversation in the pre-draft process — they measured at 32¼ inches at the combine — but his film doesn't lie. 

He was second in the FBS among all offensive lineman with a 93.0 pass-blocking grade, allowing just one sack on the year, according to Pro Football Focus. He also ranked in the top 25 of FBS offensive tackles last season with an 81.7 run-blocking grade. 

"When he grabs people, for the most part, they stop," said Carthon. 

There was so much the Titans couldn't do last season because of bad offensive-line play. They had the worst second-half scoring offense in the NFL. 

Tennessee allowed a 39.0% pressure rate in 2022, worst in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats. The run-blocking for star tailback Derrick Henry took a big step back, too. 

That's why we've seen an overhaul of the team's offensive line. Longtime left tackle Taylor Lewan and center Ben Jones were released as cap casualties. Right guard Nate Davis walked in free agency. Dillard, a former first-round pick, and veteran Daniel Brunskill were signed as free agents. 

Now, add Skoronski to the mix. 

"That line of scrimmage is critical in this league," said coach Mike Vrabel. 

Skoronski, representing a safe pick for the Titans, bolsters it.

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.