Mel Kiper doesn’t like the JC Latham pick because he doesn’t understand the Titans

Kiper has one fair criticism and one that isn’t so fair.

Mel Kiper has put out his winners and losers from round one of the 2024 NFL Draft. One of the teams that he listed as making a head-scratching move was the Tennessee Titans. The reason he doesn’t like the pick is because JC Latham was a right tackle at Alabama. In his description, see below, he says over and over that they drafted a right tackle. While that is technically true, the Titans hired one of the best offensive line coaches of all time this offseason who has experience taking a guy who played right tackle in college and making him a great left tackle in the NFL.

We don’t know how the move will go. It may turn out to be a total bust, but for now, I am going to defer to the Hall of Fame offensive line coach who loved Latham.

To be 100% fair to Kiper, the bigger beef he had with the pick was Latham over Rome Odunze. We will have to wait and see how that one plays out. There is no doubt the Titans have a need at receiver, but clearly, the Titans thought getting Latham was a bigger priority than Odunze.

Kiper’s comments:

Let’s be clear: I like Latham as a prospect, and he’ll be a plug-and-play starter at tackle for the Titans. The problem here is something I talk about a lot — value. Is this really where Tennessee should take a starting right tackle? Because that’s all he played at Alabama. They could have taken an edge rusher or the No. 4 player on my board, wideout Rome Odunze, or they could have traded down a few spots and likely still taken Latham.

Yes, offensive line was their biggest need, but this isn’t great value. In back-to-back drafts, Tennessee now has taken a right tackle and guard in the top 11. It still has a void at left tackle, too. Now, it sounds like the Titans are going to try Latham there, but it’s not lock that he’s an above-average blindside protector.