Titans Trade Changes Their NFL Draft Outlook

As has been expected since Brian Callahan’s midseason firing last year, the Tennessee Titans have been among the busiest teams in the league this offseason. Working to rebuild a squad from the ground-up is no simple task.

Now under head coach Robert Saleh, the renewed Titans - in addition to scheming out an aesthetic rebrand, set to be revealed this month - are active on all fronts. The biggest break came in the form of a trade for Saleh’s expectedly tantalizing defense.

Bringing EDG Jermaine Johnson (a former pupil of Saleh’s) in from the New York Jets filled that positional need for the Titans, at least to some extent. This has naturally resulted in the widespread outlook of the team’s draft quickly and drastically changing.

Drafting From a Different Point of View

With a major defensive need at least addressed, Tennessee has their own permission to turn heel and focus on slotting talent in on offense to help Cam Ward as he continues to develop. To this end, a number of avenues are freshly open for a Titans team that can approach their draft capital, especially No. 4 overall, with wider vision.

Wide receiver may be the first position to come to mind here for most, especially when considering Ward, but a talent-first perspective could also come into play. If that's the case, running back Jeremiyah Love could be the go-to selection.

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (RB11) | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Not only has Tennessee been reported to have Love's name circled already, but the big-body back is a multi-faceted asset of sorts given his ability to run routes and score seemingly at will (posting 18 touchdowns last season at Notre Dame).

Still, whether the Titans swing on Love or one of the many highly-touted wideouts in this year's class (see Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon), the offensive window opening could mean coordinator Brian Daboll's offense is much further along in year-one than initially expected.

An Advanced Offense

Of course, just because the edge rushing gap has been filled doesn't mean Tennessee won't spin and address the cornerback or linebacker position with their top pick.

But the aforementioned reports about Love outline a behind the scenes plan for the franchise beyond HC Saleh's own defensive preferences. Given the initial worries that clouded the offensive side of his hire, the Titans trending in this direction before the draft is a good omen, suggesting a layered approach to building what it takes to win on both sides of the ball.

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