Tyjae Spears (Titans) NFL Draft Preview
Post-Draft Fantasy Impact
Tyjae Spears was drafted in the third round of the NFL draft, going as the fifth Running Back off the board and 81st overall. The Titans seemed like an odd landing spot for any Running Back, seeing as how Derrick Henry is the true definition of a workhorse back, but I actually believe this was a great pick.
Let’s look at Henry first. He’s in the last year of his contract. He’s 29. He missed half of the 2021 season with a foot injury (ok not a big deal since he had himself a career year in 2022, but still). And lastly, the Titans are obviously rebuilding.
That means drafting Spears was obviously part of their longer-term plan. If you’ve been following offseason drama, you may have heard rumors that the Titans may be looking to move Henry. Now they didn’t do that in the draft, but that doesn’t mean they won’t use him as trade bait close to the 2023 trade deadline. If a team needs a Running Back for a Super Bowl push, I would not be surprised to see the Titans ship Henry off for tons of picks as they continue to rebuild.
Ok so now that the background info is out there, what does that mean for fantasy?
Well, it’s hard to say cause there are a lot of scenarios that could have huge fantasy implications. If the Titans are competitive, they may decide to hold onto Henry and resign him. That is not good news for Spears.
If they look bad, Henry may opt for a trade or test free agency next year in order to land on a potential winner. In this scenario, Spears would be wildly coveted in fantasy for the second half of the season.
Spears has the skill set to be utilized, but we’ve never really seen a committee approach used in Tennessee, so it’s hard to say how it’ll shape out. If I had to guess, the Titans are ready to move on from Henry soon and probably want to see how Spears handles the work. I still think Henry gets 70% of the snaps, so it’ll take a Henry injury or trade to make Spears relevant for fantasy.
For now, Spears will be one of the top handcuffs and will probably be drafted late in fantasy leagues. Should Henry miss time or get traded, Spears becomes a potential league-winning type of player.
As for dynasty, Spears should be one of the top picks based on his landing spot and future potential as the lead back for the Titans.
Tyjae Spears NFL Draft Preview
Tyjae Spears’ first two seasons for Tulane didn’t really give him a chance to prove himself. In his freshman year, he was a reserve player, only playing in four games and rushing for 192 yards and one touchdown.
His sophomore year wasn’t much better, but this time it was because a knee injury took him out after three games.
Finally, as a junior Spears started to show what he was capable of. As the starter and healthy, Spears rushed 129 times for 863 yards and nine touchdowns. He caught 19 passes for 145 yards.
Spears exploded in his final year for Tulane, rushing 229 times for 1581 yards (that’s a whopping 6.9 ypc) and 19 touchdowns. He also caught 22 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns.
He was a First-Team All-AAC player in 2022, and he won the All-AAC Offensive Player of the Year. Spears led Tulane to a Cotton Bowl victory over USC in 2023, which led to him winning MVP for the game.
Spears is currently considered a third or fourth-round pick.
Measurables
- 5’10” 201 lbs
- 40-yard dash – 4.54 seconds
- Vertical jump – 39″
- Broad Jump – 10’5″
- Bench Press – 18 Reps
POSITIVES
Tyjae Spears was efficient at Tulane, rushing for an average of 6.8 ypc and averaging 11.8 yards per catch.
He didn’t have a ton of catches over his college career, but he has good route-running and soft hands and is a bigger threat as a Receiver than a “check-down” guy, as evidenced by his high yards per catch.
He is a smooth runner who can change directions easily. He makes timely cuts behind his blockers and has good vision that allows him to see upfield and make the proper move.
Spears finishes his runs by consistently falling forward. He also can maneuver through tight spaces as needed.
NEGATIVES
Spears lacks early decisiveness and burst, making him an easy target for being tackled behind the line of scrimmage.
He isn’t the strongest running back and he doesn’t push through defenders often.
Spears tore his ACL in 2021, which makes him a risk for re-injury.
GRADE – B-
Spears is another interesting NFL prospect that I can see going either way.
He really doesn’t seem to have too many negatives, but he did play in the AAC, which isn’t necessarily known for it’s football prowess.
Still, Spears was incredibly efficient throughout his career and really exploded in 2022. Even though USC has it’s flaws, Spears still managed to run all over them in the Cotton Bowl.
Spears has decent enough size and seems to be pretty elusive, and the addition of being a good pass-catching option makes him an asset for any team.
I believe Spears could be utilized at least in a committee to start his career, once again depending on where he lands.
Happily married father of two boys. I love all sports, although prefer watching them since I’m a wildly mediocre athlete. And that’s why I write fantasy football articles! I’ve been writing for Fantasyfootballcalculator for over six years now. Besides that, I enjoy watching Badger football and basketball even though it raises my blood pressure. In my downtime, I enjoy traveling with my family, playing video games with friends, and golfing.
