Entering April, most of the talk surrounding the top 2023 NFL Draft QBs focuses on the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Las Vegas Raiders. Yet, the Tennessee Titans, who hold the 11th overall pick, could be emerging as a “sneaky team” getting involved in the chase for one of the top four QB prospects in April’s draft.
According to Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer, the Titans could be a team to watch to acquire a QB early on, as they’ve done a lot of homework on this year’s prospect pool.
First-year general manager Ran Carthon is calling the shots in Tennessee now, and he doesn’t have ties to Ryan Tannehill or Malik Willis, last year’s third-round selection. This could lead to the new Titans GM placing a priority on trying to land the franchise’s future QB during this year’s draft.
If so, we’re seeing that evaluation take place right now, with Carthon personally being on hand for C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, and Will Levis‘ Pro Days. Head coach Mike Vrabel was also in attendance for two of these three workouts, choosing to forego Alabama’s event. The Titans also privately met with Stroud, who’s widely expected to be a top-five pick.
Ultimately, the Titans could simply be doing their due diligence on this year’s crop of prospects in case one slips. Or maybe they want a closer look at what the 2023 talent pool looks like now as a comparison tool before potentially amplifying their effort to secure a new long-term starter during the 2024 NFL Draft instead.
Tannehill’s entering the final year of his contract, and he’s set to turn 35 in July. It could very well be his last season with the Titans, especially with Willis lurking as another option, albeit much less expensive than Tannehill with a salary of $1.1 million instead of a cap hit of $36.6 million for the veteran.
Either way, the Titans are spending a considerable amount of time looking into young quarterbacks this offseason. Whether that means anything during draft weekend or not remains to be seen, but they’ll at least be prepared for a multitude of scenarios.
Related: Tennessee Titans mock draft 2023: Huge first draft for Ran Carthon