Titans Nearly Had Jahmyr Gibbs, Derrick Henry Combo

Tennessee Titans fans are probably kicking themselves after hearing what former general manager Ran Carthon had to say on the "With The First Pick" podcast.

Carthon admitted he was targeting Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

“My dream scenario was to be able to trade back, and in some scenario be able to trade back, pick up an additional second round pick, and then package the two second round picks and trade back into the bottom of the first to take Jahmyr Gibbs," Carthon said.

"Because I thought just adding a player with that type of explosiveness makes you instantly explosive on offense. And you talk about a one-two punch of Jahmyr Gibbs and Derrick Henry at the time, that would have been a problem.”

Wow: Former Titans GM Ran Carthon said he wanted to trade back into the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to select Jahmyr Gibbs to pair him with Derrick Henry.

“You talk about a 1-2 punch of Jahmyr Gibbs and Derrick Henry, at the time, that would have been, that would have been… pic.twitter.com/E2lh3gu2lw
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 25, 2025

Titans Targeted Jahmyr Gibbs in NFL Draft

The Titans had the No. 11 overall pick in that draft and selected Peter Skoronski, which was a good move for them at the time. The Titans needed some help on the interior offensive line and Skoronski was considered one of the best prospects in the draft at that position.

Three years into his career, Skoronski has proven to be a key part of the Titans offensive line and the team should have no qualms of that pick.

After the Titans selected Skoronski, they were targeting a trade back into the first round to take Gibbs, but the Detroit Lions ended those hopes pretty quickly by taking the Alabama running back with the very next pick.

Many were surprised by the Lions' eagerness to pick Gibbs so soon after Bijan Robinson was taken No. 8 overall by the Atlanta Falcons. Instead, the Lions knew they wanted their guy and weren't going to hope that he would be available at No. 18, when they were on the clock next.

Titans Miss Out Big Time

Ultimately, Gibbs has become one of the top running backs in the NFL in his short career and he helped the Lions to an NFC Championship appearance in his rookie season, followed by a 15-2 record the following year.

The Titans settled on Tyjae Spears out of Tulane in the third round to fill that running back void, but he has been inconsistent and injured throughout most of his career. He was viewed as the heir apparent to Henry, who left the Titans after the 2023 season, but instead, the team might be attempting to find his true replacement again in the 2026 NFL Draft.

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