Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans SHOUL NOT Trade Down in First, Day 2 Trade Examples & Top 11 Big Board

Episode Date: April 6, 2023

The Tennessee Titans need to find a way to get quality and quantity out of this year's NFL Draft. One way they can do it is with a trade down, but what they can't do is make a trade down in the first round. The Titans should target the second round for a trade down for two reasons. Tyler goes over some trades on Day 2 from the 2022 NFL Draft to use as examples of what the Titans could do. Finally, Tyler goes over his top 11 prospects in the NFL to show how comfortable the Titans should be to stick and pick at number 11.Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videosSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.Ultimate Football GMTo download the game just visit Ultimate-GM.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Tennessee Titans must trade down, but not in the first round. I'll explain why on today's edition of the Locked On Titans podcast. Let's get it. You are Locked On Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked On Titans Podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland, Titans fans. Today's show is all about quality and quantity for the Titans.

I'm going to tell you why the Titans need to trade down in the draft, but not with their first round pick. I'm going to go over some trade packages that could work for the Titans in the second round and tell you why I think it's so important that they stick at pick 11 and make their selection. Before we get into all of that, I want to let you know that today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, the official sportsbook of the NFL. Make every moment more. Visit Fandle.com slash locked on to get started today. Also, thank you for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. Remember,

Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content on all platforms all year round and always for free. Make sure that you get subscribed and stay subscribed to the Locked on Titans podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team, every day. So, when I make this argument to you that the Titans need to trade down in the draft, but they need to do it in the second round, not the first round, there are going to be two aspects to my argument, Your Honor. You know, I feel like I'm laying out a defense case here. But the first important aspect of this discussion is the lack of high-end first-round talent in this draft.

So I know some people disagree at times and say, hey, what do the experts know? But if you listen to just about any draft pundit out there, they'll tell you this is not a great draft class, just generally speaking. From top to bottom, all the way across the board, not one of the better draft classes we have seen in recent years. And with that comes a lack of first-round talent. So we've talked about this before, but I want to bring it up again.

And it's a quote from Todd McShay a couple weeks ago, a month ago on his first draft podcast. And he said, quote, I had a very prominent head coach call me and give me the business on a player who I had going in my mock draft a few weeks ago in the first round.

I said, I have a second round grade on that player, but there are only 14 first round picks that I have right now. So like someone has to go beyond the 14th pick, end quote. So whether you're on board with McShay about only 14 first round grades, maybe you think that there are more. It gets to, you know, 15, 16, 17, 18 first round talents. The point is there aren't 32 of those. And I am a little bit worried about the Titans trading back so far to get into the 20s. And I know you all have your own players who you like

in those rounds. But for me, the odds of hitting on that player and them being the A-caliber talent that you need in a first-round pick, it's less. It's less than picking higher, close to the top 10. The Titans don't just need to hit on a first-round pick to get a starter. The Titans are missing top-tier talent. The roster doesn't have enough talent, generally speaking, but they don't have enough blue chip players. Okay? The Titans haven't given a first round pick a second contract

since Taylor LeJuan in 2014. That's why this team is not just, you know, missing depth, but they're also missing high end talent as well that you need to win Super Bowls and to compete. So if you have a pick as high as pick 11 and you think that you're going to continue to build your roster to get better, you may not have a pick that high for the next couple of years. The Titans need to stick at number 11. Make sure that they get one of the first round talents in this draft and add a high end player to their roster.

They have an opportunity to do that here. And then if you trade down in the second round, then you have the opportunity to check the quantity box as well. So you need to be able to check the quality box and getting an actual first round talent in this draft, that would check that quality box or at least start to for the Titans. At the end of today's show, I am going to go over my top 11 players in the draft and why I think it's so important that the Titans stick at 11 because they can get one of those 11

players. So I'm going to go over that list at the end of the show with you guys, but continuing here to point number two. Point number one is about the lack of talent, lack of first round talent in the draft and the Titans need for high end players. Point number two though, is the Titans can get great value for a second round trade. And right now,

when you only have a few players as first round grades, that means the middle class of the draft is going to be bigger than it normally is. And if you have a bigger middle class of players talent-wise, that means that you can get more bang for your buck by having more picks in that day two range. So for the Titans, in a draft class that, like I said, it's not a great draft class, but certain positions that it is good at, wide receiver, tight end, edge, cornerback, you

can get a lot of really good players out of this draft class in the day two range at those positions. draft class in the day two range at those positions. So it would make sense for the Titans to have as many picks as they can in that 40 to 120 range. And right now, all they have is 41-72. And then they have a huge gap until 149. So the Titans need to find a way to get more picks in that range. And I don't think they should sacrifice pick 11 to do it. You get one high-end guy so that you check the quality box. And then you trade down with pick number two at number 41 so that you can help yourself check that quantity box

but still have more than just two picks in that 50 to 120 range. So we're going to go over some trades that happened last year in the second round that line up with exactly with what the Titans would want to do. So I'm going to go over three different trades, use that as an example to explain a trade the Titans could make with a specific team this year to help check that quantity box and make it all come together. So we're going to dive into that in just a moment. Before we do, I do want to let you know that today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook.

Look, the NBA playoffs are here. It's the perfect time to download FanDuel, America's number one sportsbook because new customers get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000. That's bonus bets back even if your first bet doesn't win. Just download the FanDuel Sportsbook app. It's safe. It's secure. It's super easy to use. You can bet everything from the money line to the point spread

to how many points a guy is going to score, how many threes a guy is going to make, how many rebounds a girl is going to get. I mean, you can combine all that together for a single game parlay and then you can bet a little to win a lot. Don't miss your chance to get a no sweat first bet up to $1,000 in bonus bets back when you go to fanduel.com slash locked on.

That's fanduel.com slash locked on to learn more. Make every moment more with FanDuel, an official sports betting edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. I'm breaking down exactly why I think the Titans should trade down in the draft, but they don't need to trade down in the first round. They need to trade down in the second round. They need to trade down in the second round. I just broke down my two reasons for why I think that, but I want to dive into them a little bit more.

So number one, we talked about the lack of first round talent. I'm going to go over my top 11 players and why I'm so comfortable with sticking and picking out 11 and getting a fantastic football player that is the A talent that I'm talking about. And then point two was the value you could get in a day two trade. And I'm going to go into some trades that happened last year that would be perfect for the Titans this year. And I have teams that make sense as well.

Before we get into it, I want to thank you guys again for making the Locked On Titans podcast your first listen every day, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content on all platforms all year long and always for free. Make sure you get subscribed. Stay subscribed to the Locked on Titans podcast. But number one, last year, the Cleveland Browns and the Houston Texans made a trade. The Browns had pick number 44. So this year, the Cleveland Browns and the Houston Texans made a trade. The Browns had pick number 44, so this year the Titans have 41. In exchange for pick number 44, the Browns got from the Texans pick 68, pick 108, and pick 124.

So three picks within the top 125 picks to drop down about 20 spots in the second round. And look, for me, the difference between Josh Downs at 44 or Jonathan Mingo at 68, you know, in Osiris Torrance? At 41?

Compared to Cody Mock or Joe Tipman or maybe even Luke Weipler in the 60s? You know, that is a sacrifice that I think the Titans should be willing to make. So, if you take 68-108-124 for 44 as an example, and that's real-world value.

We can look at trade charts all we want. These are trades that actually happen, okay? That is the best guide for value in trades. It's historical analysis. So with that in mind, if the Titans take number 41 and trade it with the Arizona

Cardinals, who own pick 66, 96, and 105, maybe you could do pick 41 for pick 66 and pick 96. Now the Titans drop back 20 spots,

but they pick up a completely new top 100 pick at number 96. Now instead of going from 72 to 149 with no picks, the Titans get an extra one in there and drop back 20 spots. Maybe you don't like that. Well, then maybe the Titans could do 41 for 66, 105, and I think the Cardinals have a pick in the 140s.

So add it in there. You could do something like that. That could make a ton of sense for the Titans. Another trade that is different than this is a 20 spot drop back. I get it. Maybe for some people that's too much, but what about this trade? The New York Giants last year were at pick number 38. They traded five spots back to pick number 43 and picked up pick 114 in the process. So what if the Titans and any team could do this?

You don't need a ton of picks here. If you have a team that's within about five picks or six picks of the Titans and they have a pick between 100 and 120, you can make this happen. This doesn't take any kind of specific team at all. Every team that's right behind the Titans could probably make something like this work. So the Titans trade 41, drop back to, what, 46 to 50, somewhere in there, and they pick up 100 in teams, 110, something like that.

So you drop back five spots and just give yourself an extra top 120 pick. That's the type of move that the Titans need to make here. Add in another pick and only drop down a little bit. That could work out perfectly. That's the type. We look at these big swing moves, these home run moves that, you know,

the Titans are getting all these picks in and dropping back a little. It's just not realistic. These are real trades that happen. So we follow this as the model. Okay? I would love to see the Titans drop back five or six picks and just collect an extra 100 to 120 pick.

That's the type of thing they need to do. You could still get quality because you're only dropping back a little bit while you add the ability to get quantity. Another example here, I have three of them for you, and I love all of these as good examples of what the Titans could realistically do. I mean, these happened last year in the draft, okay? The Minnesota Vikings had pick number 34. They traded back for picks number 53 and 59.

If the Titans could do that, I would love that. And look at a team like the Chicago Bears. They have picked 53, 51, and 64. What if the Titans went from 41 to 61 and added pick 64. I mean, you have to ask yourselves, would you rather have Josh Downs or would you rather have Jonathan Mingo and Joe Tippman or Luke Weiple? You know, two for the price of one there.

I don't think that Josh Downs is so much better than Jonathan Mingo that I wouldn't take one of those linemen for free or an edge rusher for free. You got to think about that with where the Titans are at. If they get one high-level player in the first round by sticking and picking at 11, and then they're able to collect a couple more picks in that 50 to 120 range while moving down a little bit, I don't see a big enough difference between the players that will be available at 41 and the players that you can get in the 60s to turn down getting an extra pick with the situation the Titans are in roster-wise.

So, with trading down in the second round, using these three trades as examples, the Titans have the ability to check the quality box while also checking the quantity box. And that's exactly what they, they got to thread that needle in this year's draft. So, with that in mind, I'm telling you that I want to stick at pick 11.

And I'm going to go through my top 11 players to show you that no matter what happens in those first 10 picks, the Titans are going to come away with one of these guys. And I'm going to be happy about it. So we're going to get into that in just a moment. Titans fans, let's cap off today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast with, I guess, what would be my top 11 big board for the draft. Before we get into it, do want to thank you guys

for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. Now, for your second listen, check out Locked on NFL Scouting with the Draft Dudes. From free agency to the draft to salary cap management and more, join NFL experts Kyle Krabs and Joe Marino as they take you through what it's like to build a successful NFL franchise every Monday through Friday. Find Locked On NFL Scouting with the Draft Dudes wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

It's part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. So diving into this, I wanted to write down the 11 names, not in any kind of order, not from 1 to 11 ranking wise. But once I got my 11 names down, I decided to go ahead and put them in order. So don't hold me to this.

All right, this is a tentative order. I could, I could, I'm already looking at the list like, I could switch this name with this name and move this around. But right now, here are the 11 players that make me comfortable to stick and pick at 11 and feel like I'm getting truly one of the best players in this draft class. So obviously, the two quarterbacks are at the top for me. CJ Stroud,

number one. Bryce Young, number two. If the Titans could get one of those two guys, it would be incredible. Then after that, I'm looking at edge rusher Will Anderson. I know that the Titans added Arden Key. I know Rashad Weaver, but if the Titans

had the chance to get a top-tier edge rusher, that would be great because Weaver has the potential, maybe, potential, excuse me, to move into a Danico Autry-type role. And then you would have Will Anderson, Arden Key, and Harold Landry as your primary edge rush rotation. With Will Anderson and Harold Landry is your primary edge rush rotation. With Will Anderson and Harold Landry as your starters and Arden Key as your primary backup,

which is the role he thrives in. You would have Weaver rotating with Autry to keep him fresh, learning from him. You still got Big Jeff at three tech. Tart is back at nose tackle. What an incredible front. So Anderson is my number three. Number four is Paris

Johnson Jr. And as some of you have let me know, we've talked about Paris Johnson Jr. quite enough. So you guys know how I feel there. Then I look at the cornerback position. You got Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez.

I would love to get my hands on either of those guys. And honestly, it would be Christian Fulton insurance because I think the Titans let Fulton go after the year. So there you go with that. Then, still, I'm focused on offensive line, Peter Skowronski. That would be my next one. Then after that, Jackson Smith and Jigba, which he could very well be available at 11.

Then you have Jalen Carter. Then I would go Lucas Van Ness and Tyree Wilson. That's 11 guys. Stroud, Young, Anderson, Johnson Jr., Witherspoon, Gonzalez, Karonski, Smith and Jigba, Carter, Van Ness, and Wilson, any of those 11 players,

any of those 11, I would be happy with the Titans if they walked away with those guys. I would be happy with the pick. So with those 11 players being available and knowing that you're going to get one of those guys, there's no way I'm trading down in the first round. There's just no way. No way.

I'm getting one of those 11 guys and I'm leaving knowing that I got a starter and a stud. I'll trade down in round two, get one of the packages that we talked about and now I have the ability to check the quality and the quantity

box, which is what we've been talking about throughout the entire episode. There you go. That's my case, Your Honor. The defense rests. I think I've made a compelling case. I've used historical data. I've used analysis. So,

don't trade down in round one. Trade down in round two. Get quality and quantity, Titans. That's going to do it for me today, though, folks. I'll be back with you guys tomorrow. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this

was Slop Dog Tag.