JC Latham rookie contract figures with Tennessee Titans revealed after NFL Draft
Heading into Thursday night, the Tennessee Titans needed to find a way to protect Will Levis. And with a deep offensive tackle class, there were plenty of options on the board. Tennessee wound up selecting JC Latham out of Alabama, hoping he could become the next great Crimson Tide pass protector.
Latham was selected No. 7 overall and is going to get paid thanks to it. His contract details have been revealed by Spotrac, with a four-year contract heading his way worth a guaranteed $26 million.
“As the #7 overall #NFLdraft pick, OT JC Latham should sign a 4 year, fully guaranteed $26M contract with the #Titans, including a $15.7M signing bonus, & a 5th year option in 2028,” Spotrac said via X.
Alabama has a long history of putting offensive tackles in the NFL and Latham is now the latest. He spent most of his career at right tackle though, figuring to slot there for the Titans. Latham will begin in professional career in Nashville for at least four seasons and if he performs well, the fifth-year option will surely get picked up.
What NFL Draft analysts are saying JC Latham
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein provided some analysis on Latham’s game in his recent scouting report of the offensive lineman’s draft profile. He compared Latham to Jawaan Taylor who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2019-2022. Taylor joined the Kansas City Chiefs this past season and helped the team win a Super Bowl.
Zierlein likes that Latham is built like a guard but plays like a tackle. But he’s concerned that Latham doesn’t have lateral quickness and can be impatient into first contact as a run blocker.
“Bulldozer in human form with the upper- and lower-body power to forcibly evacuate run lanes and instantly upgrade a team’s ground attack,” Zierlen wrote. “Latham’s body type is girthy, and he has elite drive-blocking talent. He has operated in a variety of run schemes but will be an average move blocker both laterally and when climbing to the second level.
“His pass sets are well-balanced with good initial quickness and active hands. He unleashes lefts and rights and mirrors effectively after contact but gets beaten by inside moves when he over-sets. He has the length and hand strength to shut rushers down but needs to become more comfortable setting diagonally rather than vertically to avoid sinking too deeply into his own pocket. Latham’s size, strength and talent give him a chance to become a heralded right tackle or Pro Bowl-caliber guard.”