National Football League

Titans miss out on Joe Alt, but land arguably most powerful OT in draft

Updated Apr. 25, 2024 10:56 p.m. ET

On paper, the draft board didn't fall as expected for the Titans.

Notre Dame All-American left tackle Joe Alt, the most commonly mocked prospect for Tennessee who seemed to be a home run selection for the franchise, was taken off the board by the Chargers at No. 5. Then LSU's Malik Nabers, who many believe is the top receiver prospect, was taken by the Giants.

But in what's believed to be the deepest offensive-tackle class in years, Tennessee may have gotten the most powerful prospect.

The Titans stayed put at No. 7 to take Alabama's JC Latham. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 342 pounds, Latham allowed just two sacks in 1,016 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed just a 1.4% pressure rate over the past two seasons, per ESPN.

That's all great for the Titans, who've had awful offensive-line play the past couple of years. Since the start of 2022, they've allowed a 44.2% pressure rate per drop back, second-highest in the league, per Next Gen Stats. Better protection for quarterback Will Levis has been at the top of the priority list.

The thing is, Latham played right tackle for the Crimson Tide. That's where he had 27 straight starts to end his career. The Titans' biggest need has been left tackle, a revolving door since Taylor Lewan was released after the 2022 season.

General manager Ran Carthon said that the plan is to start Latham at left tackle, where he hasn't played since high school.

"He sees himself as a left tackle. I mean, they all do," Titans coach Brian Callahan joked. "The way that it happened at Alabama, I think they were trying to get their best five [offensive linemen out there]. … I think he's fully capable of [playing left tackle]."

And there's something to be said about an offensive-tackle prospect who has the athleticism and physical tools of Latham getting to work with Bill Callahan, Brian's father and Tennessee's offensive line coach, one of the most respected gurus at the position. This will be just as much about the elder Callahan's development chops as it is about Latham.

The former Alabama star just turned 21 just two months ago, too. There's plenty of upside for the Titans to work with.

"Just a really strong, powerful, big athletic human," Brian Callahan said. "There aren't a lot of guys that look like him on Earth. So we like that."

To Latham's credit, he seems eager to work with Bill Callahan, too.

"There's so many techniques that I've never even heard about before. He's such a legendary coach," Latham said. "Just to be able to be coached by him and pick his brain, just understanding what kind of guy he is on a personal level but also understand what environment he's created with his technique and discipline. I loved it all. I was really intrigued by it all."

And it will be an intriguing transition for him at the NFL level, playing left tackle.

Will it pan out?

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.

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