Tennessee Titans Look to Move Up in the NFL Draft, Arizona at #3 Might be a Trade Partner

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The Tennessee Titans are looking to move up to in the upcoming NFL draft. The Titans own the 11th pick but their need is QB and the big four of Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson will likely be gone before their spot comes around. So they’ve been in talks with the Arizona Cardinals who have the third selection.  

Panthers and Texans will draft a quarterback

Carolina traded up to No. 1 and will obviously take a QB. Houston is expected to do the same at No. 2. Arizona could then either take the highest-rated non-quarterback they have on their draft board, or they could swing a deal with a QB-needy team.

Titans beat writer Nick Suss thinks the team is looking long and hard at Florida’s Anthony Richardson:

Both the NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah and Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated have speculated that the Titans are one of the team’s best suited to trade up and snag a quarterback early in the first round.

Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud are the presumed favorites to be picked No. 1 and No. 2 overall, though Richardson and Kentucky’s Will Levis are still in the mix.

Arizona will seek multiple first round picks

If the Titans want to ensure they can draft a quarterback, the earliest spot they’ll be able to move up to is No. 3, a pick owned by the Arizona Cardinals and their new GM, former Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort. Oh the irony of it.

Moving up to No. 3, or anywhere in the top six or seven picks, would be expensive. Suss believes the Titans would have to trade the No. 11 pick, their first-round pick in 2024, one or two mid-round picks in the next two drafts and potentially a veteran starter.

In 2021, the San Francisco 49ers traded from No. 12 to No. 3 and in doing so gave up three first-round picks and a third-round pick. They selected Trey Lance. He’s been hurt the past two seasons although he did have a highlight or two.

Titans in need of a QB upgrade

Tennessee has only two quarterbacks under contract for 2023. They are Ryan Tannehill and second-year passer Malik Willis, who the team selected in the third round of the 2022 draft. Willis appeared in eight games as a rookie, starting three. He completed just 50.8% of his passes with three interceptions and zero touchdowns, though he did rush for one score.

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