Titans NFL Draft Daily (Feb. 27): Could Trading No. 7 Pick Benefit Tennessee in Rebuilding?

Ran Carthon likes the where the Tennessee Titans are picking — No. 7 in the 2024 NFL Draft. If it makes sense, he's willing to make a trade. Here's a scenario for trading down that could benefit the Titans, especially with such a deep class at offensive line and wide receiver.

INDIANAPOLIS — The Tennessee Titans might be happy with their No. 7 spot in the 2024 NFL Draft, but general manager Ran Carthon said he'd listen to potential trade opportunities. And considering the depth with this year's class, it might be in the Titans' best interest to entertain the idea of trading down.

Trading away the seventh pick might seem like a wild proposition, especially for a 6-11 team with a plethora of needs. But both Carthon and coach Brian Callahan believe this year's class is incredibly deep — particularly at the team's positions of need: offensive tackle and wide receiver. 

"I think we're really deep at receiver in this draft. And offensive line, as a whole," Carthon said during his media availability at the NFL Scouting Combine. "Which are two areas that we're gonna be focusing on. But it's a really deep class, a lot of talented young men."

As much as Carthon likes Tennessee's current position, he's not ruling out the possibility of moving — if it makes sense. 

"I like No. 7, but I’m open," Carthon said. "We’ll listen to any offers that come."

Does it make sense for the Titans to trade away the No. 7 pick? If it means acquiring more selections in this year's draft, it can absolutely help a franchise with several holes to fill. 

Potential Titans trade scenario

We're not going to get into the nitty-gritty details of potential trade opportunities. There are too many possibilities and we're still two months away from the NFL Draft. So, for the sake of argument, we'll utilize a CBS Sports mock draft from earlier this year.

In an initial dry run, Tom Fornelli projected that the Titans would trade the No. 7 pick to the Denver Broncos, dropping Tennessee down to the No. 12 slot. 

With a class loaded along the offensive line, the Titans could plug-and-play left tackle at No. 12 while acquiring more assets — say a third-round pick in this year's draft?

Currently, Tennessee is without a selection in that round. And Carthon has made it clear that the best way to ensure long-term success is through the draft process. 

"Building a consistent winner happens through the draft," Carthon said. "The way you build for consistent success is through the draft and you need draft picks to do that. We're definitely willing to listen (to offers)."

Sure-fire selections like Notre Dame's Joe Alt and Penn State's Olu Fashanu would be gone if the Titans traded for a lower first-round pick. But at a spot like No. 12, Tennessee would still have a good selection at offensive tackle, like Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga, BYU's Kingsley Suamataia, Alabama's JC Latham, Georgia's Chris Mims, and Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton.

Plus, a trade potentially would give Tennessee a chance to add depth at wide receiver in the later rounds. Based on Callahan's comments, there's a good chance the Titans can find someone who can make an immediate impact at the position. 

"There's gonna be good receivers, I think you'll find, that'll come off the board in the second, third ,and fourth round that will be contributors for some teams," Callahan said. "So, it's a deep class."

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