With the NFL Draft approaching in two weeks, experts nationwide are beginning to reach a consensus: The Titans are looking for a quarterback, and they’re willing to move up in the draft to find him.
The Titans currently hold the No. 11 pick, and at least four quarterbacks are expected to go in the first round. One potential landing spot in a trade is the Arizona Cardinals’ No. 3 pick, though draft experts have also considered the Titans could swap with division rival Houston Texans at No. 2 or the Detroit Lions at No. 6.
Here’s a look at the most recent mock drafts:
Rhett Lewis, NFL Network
No. 11: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
It's no secret the Titans have been doing their work on this QB class. Ryan Tannehill's been a quality starter for Tennessee, but he's in the last year of his contract and carries a $36.6 million cap hit. Levis brings a similar skill set to the table with athleticism and arm talent while also feeling like a more polished product at this point than last year's third-round QB, Malik Willis.
Ryan Wilson, CBS
No. 2: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
The Titans move all the way up from No. 11 to No. 2, swapping picks with division rival Houston — and paying a premium in the process to keep Indianapolis from making the same move. (The Colts settle for trading up to No. 3 ... to also get a QB.)
C.J. Stroud had a great Pro Day and it further solidified his case as one of the two best QBs in this draft class. In this mock draft, we have the Titans trade all the way up to No. 2 to get their franchise QB; Ryan Tannehill is in the last year of his deal and it's unclear where 2022 third-rounder Malik Willis fits into the team's long-term plans. (Mock-trade details: HOU gets: No. 11 pick in 2023, 2024 1st-rounder, 2024 3rd-rounder, 2025 1st-rounder, 2025 4th-rounder; TEN gets No. 2 pick in 2023)
Jack McKessy, Draft Network
No. 3: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
TEN receives: No. 3 overall pick
ARI receives: No. 11 overall, 2024 1st-round pick, 2024 3rd-round pick and 2025 1st-round pick
In a trade modeled after the 49ers’ trade up to the No. 3 overall pick two years ago, Tennessee trades up eight spots to get their franchise guy. The Titans are not going to sit on their hands and watch as a top quarterback in the class falls right into the laps of their divisional rival Colts, especially when they need help at the position themselves. Ryan Tannehill will be 35 by the start of the 2023 season, and last year’s decision to draft a “project quarterback” — Malik Willis — has not played out well so far for Tennessee. With Bryce Young, the Titans get a safe quarterback option with excellent accuracy, ball placement, high football IQ and improvisational skills that would give the Titans their quarterback of the future and one who can compete for the starting job immediately.
Sam Monson, PFF
No. 6: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
I don’t love C.J. Stroud as much as others, but he flashed more than enough potential against Georgia (92.2 PFF game grade) for an NFL team to buy in if he starts to slip in the draft. Tennessee jumps up from No. 11 to get its quarterback of the future and finally begin the rebuild.
Mel Kiper, ESPN
No. 3: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Here's a fun deal to think about. Tennessee's quarterback need has gone under the radar, but Ryan Tannehill is a free agent in 2024 and Malik Willis, who dropped all the way to Round 3 in last year's draft, really struggled as a rookie, even getting benched late in the season for journeyman Joshua Dobbs. Is it possible the Titans already know Willis is not their QB of the future?
Tennessee would have to give up a lot in this trade — the closest recent comp is the Miami-San Francisco swap in 2021. The 49ers acquired the No. 3 overall pick in that draft for the No. 12 selection, future first-round picks in the 2022 and 2023 drafts and a third-rounder in 2022. In this mock scenario, Tennessee would send Arizona picks Nos. 11 and 41 in this draft, plus a 2024 first-round selection and likely either a 2025 first- or second-rounder as well. And don't forget new Titans general manager Ran Carthon joined the organization from San Francisco.
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Here's that quarterback for the Titans. The 6-4 Richardson might have the highest ceiling of any prospect in this class. If he puts together all of his tools and isn't rushed into being the guy in Week 1, he could be a star. It's a big "if," though, because he was extremely inconsistent as a passer in college and has a ways to go to clean up his mechanics. Now, the hope for Tennessee is that it can coach him up, unlock some of those traits and let him show his dual-threat ability. And it could sit him behind Tannehill in Year 1.
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