DON’T TRADE DOWN: Titans GM Ran Carthon Wants ‘Blue Player’ With First Pick in 2023 NFL Draft

The Tennessee Titans aren’t expecting to be picking this high in the NFL draft any time soon. They must avoid the temptation of a trade down in round one and select what Titans’ general manager Ran Carthon called a “Blue Player” with the eleventh selection.

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans need depth. It is no secret and it can’t be debated. However, the other side of quantity is quality and the Titans are lacking top-tier talent on the roster as well. Some may think it naïve, but the Titans don’t expect to be selecting this high in the draft in the coming year according to general manager Ran Carthon and if that turns out to be the case, the Titans need to seize the moment and get a player who can be a difference maker for years to come. Carthon said something on Monday that made me feel even more sure about not trading down.

“Rather be picking at 32 every year, rather be at least 31, 32,” Carthon explained. “For this organization to be picking eleven with the success they’ve had here, it’s kind of unprecedented. Ultimately, picking that high, we want to come away with a blue player. A player that is going to come in and contribute to you immediately with the hopes of never having to pick that high again.”

So, what does blue player mean and what does this have to do with trading down? First, a blue player is like a “blue-chip” player which is a term more people will be familiar with. It means a true difference maker at their position. One of the top guys in the league. Now, as for the trade down, I have been, for lack of a better phrase, pushing a narrative all offseason that the Titans need to land one of the few blue-chip players in this draft and avoid trading down and missing on one in the pursuit of “depth.”

How many blue players are in this draft class is up for debate, but as shown in the linked article above there are folks around the league who think the number is around 14-17 players. Most years there aren’t 32 first-round caliber players, but this year seems to be lower than normal. The question then becomes how many are there and who are they.

Well, without any further ado, I am going to go over my list of FOURTEEN players who I think are worth a pick in the first round.

QUARTERBACKS

Bryce Young

CJ Stroud

Anthony Richardson

Will Levis

WIDE RECEIVERS

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

OFFENSIVE LINE

Paris Johnson Jr.

Peter Skoronski

Broderick Jones

EDGE RUSHER

Will Anderson

Tyree Wilson

Lukas Van Ness

CORNERBACK

Devon Witherspoon

Christian Gonzales

Joey Porter Jr.

At the end of the day my point here is the Titans can’t walk away from the first night of the draft without one of these names. I wouldn’t be as happy with Will Levis or Joey Porter Jr, but at the end of the day I get it and can understand. If the Titans can get a first rounder in 2024 in return then I will concede, but I simply don’t see that happening. So, use this opportunity and get a ‘blue player.’ The team can find depth easier than it can find high-end talents.