Here's who Tennessee Titans should target in second round of 2024 NFL Draft

The perfect complement to the Tennessee Titans' cornerstone player is just six picks away.

The team has the No. 38 pick in the second round of the NFL draft on Friday, their only selection in the second or third round. And in a perfect world, the Titans will be able to snag Illinois defensive lineman Jer'Zhan Newton with that pick.

Newton is the 6-foot-2, 304-pound battery mate Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons craves. After addressing their need at offensive tackle with Alabama's JC Latham in the first round, the Titans' biggest gaps to fill for the rest of the draft are on defense. Chief among those needs is adding some juice on the line and a powerful presence in the pass rush. Newton checks both boxes.

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A versatile asset who split time between defensive tackle and defensive end at Illinois, Newton logged 102 pressures in the past two seasons, winning Big Ten defensive player of the year in 2023. The sacks and quarterback hits are pivotal, but he also ranked third among Power Five defensive linemen last season with 32 "stops," defined by Pro Football Focus as tackles on plays that constitute a failure for an offense.

Losing Denico Autry to the rival Houston Texans in free agency this offseason is a tough look for the Titans. Autry's do-it-all clean-up-man role on the defensive line opened up so many avenues for Simmons to thrive in the middle and for edge rushers Harold Landry III and Arden Key to have free lanes to quarterbacks.

Newton may not be Autry, at least not at first, but drafting him is a step in the right direction toward rebuilding a unit that recently was among the best in the NFL. Just as Latham serves the dual purpose of addressing a need and making life easier on Will Levis and Peter Skoronski, Newton can add depth where the Titans need it and draw attention away from the team's premium defenders.

The Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Chargers pick directly before the Titans at Nos. 36 and 37, and either could take Newton. He's a premium talent, and there aren't a lot of those available in the second round. But if he drops a few more picks, the Titans could land a salve for one of their biggest weaknesses.

TRACKER: Who did the Tennessee Titans draft: Tracking every Titans selection in 2024 NFL Draft

Ranking Tennessee Titans NFL draft targets, second round

1. Illinois DT Jer'Zhan Newton

2. Texas WR Adonai Mitchell

3. Florida State WR Keon Coleman

4. Georgia WR Ladd McConkey

5. Iowa DB Cooper DeJean

6. Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry

7. Florida State DT Braden Fiske

8. Michigan LB Junior Colson

9. Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper

10. Michigan DT Kris Jenkins

Tennessee Titans 2024 NFL Draft picks

• Round 1, pick 7: Alabama OT JC Latham

• Round 2, pick 38:

• Round 4, pick 106:

• Round 5, pick 146:

• Round 6, pick 182:

• Round 7, pick 242:

• Round 7, pick 252:

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Here's who Tennessee Titans should pick in 2nd round of 2024 NFL Draft