First-year Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon has been bullish in his public declarations that Ryan Tannehill is his quarterback. Behind closed doors, that may not be the case.
During a recent episode of the “Move the Sticks” podcast, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said the Titans are contemplating a potential trade with the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 3 overall pick, likely to take a quarterback.
“Can I give you the team that I have been told to keep an eye on that’s exploring this and looking into this?” Jeremiah said. “Again, this is just people around the league who said do not sleep on [No.] 11. The Tennessee Titans. The two teams to keep an eye on with the trade-ups were the Raiders and the Titans.”
Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud and Alabama QB Bryce Young are projected to be the first two picks, which would narrow Tennessee’s decision to either Kentucky’s Will Levis or Florida’s Anthony Richardson, although there are reports that Carolina, which holds the top pick, is intrigued by Richardson.
There are also reports that the Indianapolis Colts are targeting Levis with the No. 4 overall pick. The Titans could be looking to beat their AFC South rival to the punch for the 6-foot-3 signal caller, or they could be targeting Richardson, who the Titans had in for a top-30 visit.
Moving up nine spots into the top five will certainly be costly for Tennessee. The San Francisco 49ers executed a similar trade in 2021, jumping from No. 12 to No. 3 overall in exchange for first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 plus a third rounder in 2022.
The Titans will likely have to pay a similar price that would almost certainly include the No. 41 overall selection this season plus their first- and second-round picks next season. The Panthers had to give up second-round picks in 2023 and 2025, a first rounder in 2024 plus star receiver D.J. Moore to move up from No. 9 to No. 1.
