The Quarterback Conundrum

The Tennessee Titans are actively looking at quarterbacks in this 2022 draft class. Ryan Tannehill is nearing the end of an expensive contract. With Tannehill’s post-season struggles, the Titans are looking ahead to see if the quarterback of the future can be found to keep their Super Bowl window open.

I don’t think I have ever seen such a polarizing quarterback class. The opinions on each of the prospects are vastly different from analyst to analyst, and there is no true consensus QB1 in the class. I personally think this will be one of the most talked about quarterback classes from a case study standpoint:

• How did the teams view this class versus the Internet/Media Scouts?
• With every prospect being a little bit different, what traits do teams value?
• Is there any day one starters?
• Is there any chance one of them is elite?
• How much do teams value that 5th year option?

Just so many interesting storylines from a team building perspective surrounding a class that I think people are truly underrating in terms of potential. This isn’t the 2007 class where it was Jamarcus Russell and Brady Quinn leading the charge. In fact, most of the prospects would be ahead of every one of those QBs in terms of evaluation and ranking.

So what do the Titans do? That’s been the biggest question. Do they trade up to secure a quarterback that the team has evaluated thoroughly and tab as their guy? Do they stick and pick, praying their quarterback falls to them at 26 overall? Or do they trade back, knowing that they’re higher on a quarterback than everyone else?

Let’s talk it out.

Why Draft a Quarterback?

The fans have seemingly decided the path they’re on in terms of Tannehill. One set of fans either think the 2022 season is over, and Tannehill is pointless as QB because as long as he is behind center nothing good will ever happen. The other set of fans know that Tannehill is good enough to win a Super Bowl, but have to see it to believe it.

The Titans believe that Tannehill is good enough to win a Super Bowl, if everything goes right around him. That’s par for the course for any quarterback in a single elimination tournament. Josh Allen couldn’t get a coin flip his way. Mahomes in a Super Bowl loss needed pass protection. Brady to get to that Super Bowl needed his defense to bail him out. The list goes on and on.

Joe Burrow was the luckiest quarterback to even get to the Super Bowl last year. Things just need to go right in one and done situations. You can argue that Tannehill was the making of his own bad situation in the playoffs, and I wouldn’t bat an eye at this point, but the team recognizes it had flaws in what surrounded Tannehill last year.

Great General Managers draft with the future in mind. Jon Robinson is a great GM, and I think its no surprise that himself and his staff are out evaluating quarterbacks in this class. After all, do you really wanna be in the situation the Colts have been in for the last few years?

So why are they looking at such a bad quarterback class? Because it’s not as bad as people think. In my opinion, there is not a true day one starter in this class. I think one team will draft one and start him, but he is going to be very shaky and probably really bad, depending on the landing spot.

However, if you’re looking for a guy who can sit on the bench one year, this is the perfect class to do it. Some of these quarterbacks have phenomenal traits that you can build on, and focus for a year getting them mentally prepared, and fixing whatever issues that surround them.

I will talk about the top-5 quarterbacks later on, and their fits, but those quarterbacks have a real chance at becoming the next man up for a lot of teams looking at joining the rest of the young modern day passers in the NFL.

So, why should the Titans draft one? Well first, as I said earlier, they don’t have to start him right away. They have Tim Kelly, Pat O’Hara, and Mike Vrabel on staff who all were there in Houston when they traded up for Deshaun Watson. A prospect who had many of the same flaws as ones in this class do. Now Watson started almost immediately because the only person in front of him was Tom Savage, but they saw first hand how a quarterback with flaws can be developed and made the face of the franchise.

Secondly, the money. If you hate Tannehill, you should be rooting for this staff being confident that one of these guys can be molded into a Year 2 starter, and future franchise quarterback, because that means it will be very easy for them to move on from Tannehill, and using his money towards players that make this team even better around the rookie.

A quarterback on a rookie contract is great for a team in the midst of Super Bowl contention, and it allows you to keep building a contender for at least four more years with a 5th year option. Which by the way that 5th year option is why you draft any player you’re high on in round one.

So what’s better? Trading up, sticking and picking, or grabbing outside of the first round?

Draft Strategy

It took me a while to figure out what was the best use of the data on hand for draft strategy. Originally I had looked at quarterbacks taken in the first since 2001. There were 29 trade ups including the 2021 draft last year. However, most of those quarterbacks are irrelevant to true discussion of the most recent trends.

So, I decided to look at the state of the AFC/NFC in terms of the young passers in the league and went with the quarterback classes from 2017-2021. Now for the purposes of this exercise we are going to exclude the 2021 draft class, because they’re too early in their careers. However, I think looking at the value of draft capital used to get the players will be noteworthy later on.

There have been eight trades from 2017 to 2020 where a team traded up in the 1st round for a quarterback. Four of the eight are bonafide successes, which yields a 50% success rate. Those quarterbacks are Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen.

Also in that same time frame there have been seven quarterbacks taken in a stick-n-pick situation. Three of those seven are successes. Now, I am reluctant to call Kyler Murray a success, but putting my personal, and correct takes aside, and viewing it from the national consensus, I am including Kyler among Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert. That yields a 42.9% success rate at stick-n-picks.

Then of course you have every quarterback taken after the first round. Good luck, because including the 2021 draft, you have 37 quarterbacks taken in those drafts. Only five have proven they can start or start in a pinch at the NFL level. Only two of the five are actual starters in 2022, Davis Mills and Jalen Hurts. That is a 5.4% success rate.

So, why not take the chance, and just grab a quarterback in next year’s class? Well, I know most people think we live in the worst era of Titans football, but that worst era means the Titans will more than likely still have a winning record which puts them really low in the draft.

Then, more than likely, the teams near the top are not going to want to trade with a team aiming to get Bryce Young or CJ Stroud. So that leaves guys like Jake Haener and Brennan Armstrong, who from a prospect evaluation standpoint are not that much different than what you have in most of these quarterbacks.

Armstrong in particular is coming back to the NCAA for his fifth season. In a discussion, I was told that if Armstrong had come out in this draft he would be the best quarterback in the draft. Then why wouldn’t he come out if thats the case?

Because it isn’t the case. Agents get reports from NFL teams about the view of where they more than likely would go. Whatever was said in Armstrong’s file sent him back to college to later be in a draft class where he’s a top-4 guy, and make more money, instead of taking less money to be drafted later.

That to me lets me know that teams are a little higher on some of the quarterbacks in this classes versus what the media would lead you to believe. So there’s no point in waiting if the belief is the guys available to you, are better than the guys that would potentially be available to you next year.

The concluding point is this: If you have a conviction about a guy, it is better to trade up and get him, then to pray he falls to you, especially if you’re in the late 20s and will be the following year too.

What Would it Cost?

When weighing risk/reward the draft capital you’re giving up weighs a lot. How much faith do you have in thee quarterback? What’s your confidence level you can get him a few spots down? Just so much weighs into the decision.

If you’re a Titans fan, and most of you are, I think this is the part that makes you sweat the most. The team has no second round pick, and there are obvious holes on the roster that need to be filled with quality draft talent. So, how does the team get their guy without giving up on this year’s draft?

The two trades to look at are the Chiefs trading up for Mahomes, and Texans trading up for Watson. Those trades make the most sense for this team, and that draft class was eerily similar to this year’s, in the views from the media differing from the team.

Before we look at the trades let’s look at the players. From media/internet scouting reports, here’s what the general consensus negative points regarding Mahomes/Watson at the pro level:

Patrick Mahomes

• Impatient
• Scattershot mechanics
• Narrow base
• Quickly deteriorating decision making
• Improvement needed on anticipatory reads
• Inconsistent in his approach
• Carries ball low in pocket
• A dip and wind-up in his release

Deshaun Watson

• Accuracy runs hot and cold
• Over-stride on drive throws, balls sail
• Improvement needed on ball placement
• Throws behind targets
• Improvement needed on deep-ball accuracy
• Rushes throws
• Doesn’t recognize coverage well
• Trouble improvising pass the first read
• Lack of vision, placement, decision making leading to too many interceptions
• Needs to become adept at working through progressions

What you should take away from this is the fact that teams tabbed those guys as their guys, and felt that they could work with those prospects to make them great at the next level. Despite the media’s overwhelming assertion that the QB class sucked!

Watson was taken at 1.12 overall, two spots after Mahomes, so let’s dive into the top-12 teams in the draft and their need for a quarterback:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: No Need
2. Detroit Lions: Possible need, but have other needs and a second 1st round pick. Don’t think QB at Two is likely
3. Houston Texans: They like Davis Mills, no need
4. New York Jets: No need
5. New York Giants: See Detroit Lions
6. Carolina Panthers: Disaster of a landing spot, but a QB like Kenny Pickett with ties to Matt Rhule should make this likely. 85% chance for a QB here.
7. New York Giants: Now here is where you ask, Does Daboll think he can get enough out of Daniel Jones without spending a first round QB on draft class? 45% chance for a QB here.
8. Atlanta Falcons: This team desperately needs every kind of player. I think the Falcons have their eyes set on next years draft class. I think they will end up trading back, or grabbing a wide receiver. 27% chance for a QB here
9. Seattle Seahawk: I think the team likely takes a swing on a quarterback that no one is thinking will be a first round talent. Maybe a Matt Corral or Carson Strong, because God hates Seahawks fans. 55% chance
10. New York Jets: No need
11. Washington Commanders: Have a need, but they don’t think they do.
12. Minnesota Vikings: No need.

Okay so you have the Panthers and Seahawks as the biggest threats, with Giants and Falcons as secondary teams. Then you have a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers who are not shy about their affinity for the quarterbacks, specifically Malik Willis, so they should be considered as an outside threat to move up.

So where do you go? Ideally, they would want to trade for their guy at either 1.10-1.12 with those teams, it seems odd but moving inside the top-10 would be more costly.

Atlanta is a real opportunity for them. They’ve done trades with this new regime before, and the Falcons need to replenish their roster. How much does Art Smith believe in Mariota is the real question.

I know most people think the Falcons will take a QB, and it makes sense, but they’re a team in the tear down stage of a rebuild. This means this team will end up being in contention for the number one overall pick next year, where they could land one of the top two QB prospects, so the optimal strategy would be for them to take talent that can replenish the roster and be a better situation on paper for the quarterback stepping in next year.

I think if this team falls in love with a quarterback as their guy, they’re going to have to give up at least two 1st round picks. The question becomes can you get away with a Texans like trade, and just do a first this year, and first next year? Or do you have to go the Chiefs route and throw in that 3.90.

However, can Robinson continue to work that trade magic? Remember, Robinson has traded up in the first before he sent 1.15, 3.76, and a 2017 2nd round pick, to the Browns to draft Jack Conklin at 1.08, and also get a 6.176.

That would be a little more palatable, and possibly secure the general consensus QB2 in the draft, but possibly QB1 on their board. Is that enough for Atlanta who holds that same spot the Browns did?

The Argument for Stick-n-Pick

There is an argument to be made for the stick-n-pick strategy. Do the Titans have a quarterback that is number one on their board that others would have at fourth or fifth? That’s the question, because I bet the traits coveted by these teams differ from team to team.

Malik Willis has the upside. Pickett has the day one appeal. Ridder is the pro ready leader. Howell and Corrall are the guys that can make all the throws, but are projects. So there is a scenario where the Titans start seeing the board play out in a way thats favorable to them and their board, and could stick at 26 and still get their guy.

That to me would be the dream scenario, but it’s also the riskiest scenario if they’re as gung-ho about finding their next guy. If they miss out on and a trade, and then their guy, its not the end of the world for drafting a quarterback.

They could end up trading back and drafting a guy like Basiley Zappe or even Aqeel Glass in the 5th round or later. It may not be their guy, and it may amount to more Luke Falk than Russell Wilson, but there have been diamonds in the rough found in those later rounds.

Glass is intriguing because he has the size you want, and the ability to make every NFL throw, and the Titans, reportedly, were the only team to attend the Alabama A&M Pro Day.

The downside of sticking and picking and losing out on your guy, is that it almost assuredly seals Tannehill being here in 2023 at a hefty price, or even getting an extension.

The Quarterbacks

I was watching analysts Matt Waldman and Mark Schofield have a discussion on how they rank the quarterbacks in this class, specifically surrounding Kenny Pickett, and I came to a realization about how this class should be viewed.

I think what you’re seeing is most people view this draft class through the same lens they view every position in every draft class, a standard QB1, QB2, etc, etc ratings system. That doesn’t work best for this particular class, and Schofield puts it best, where he would group them into tiers:

• The Pro Ready Safe Guys
• The Lottery Picks

That seems to be best, because like I said before every one of these quarterbacks are a little different and have pros and cons that can be compounded or diminished based on the scheme they goto. For this section I am going to talk about the consensus top five quarterbacks: Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder, Malik Willis, Sam Howell, and Matt Corral.

I am also going to talk about what I saw on film, and who I think best fits the Titans. So my ratings aren’t what I view based on their talent level, but who best fits in this current Titans system.

Desmond Ridder: The Safest

• Games Watched (5)
  • 2020 Film: vs Memphis, vs Georgia
  • 2021 Film: at Notre Dame, vs Houston, vs Alabama
• Most Common Notes
  • Pros: Asked to do a lot Pre-Snap, Great Anticipation & Timing, great base, Great athlete, Great Vision, can make every throw
  • Cons: Ball can lose steam, won’t ever be the best athlete, repeated pressure causes him to tap dance

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Desmond Ridder was number one the Titans big board. I have settled into this weird spot with Ridder. He’s probably the safest, and most technically sound of the quarterbacks, but man he sure is boring to watch compared to the other guys. If I kept it in football terms, he’s that defensive slugfest that is filled with great football, but a team ends up winning 6 to 3. Like you know you watched great football, but you were left wanting more.

Ridder first and foremost is a winner and a leader. He does have accuracy issues, but that are tied into his throwing motion. I personally think he is the best processor of the bunch, and he is a big play threat on the move. Watch him as he breaks from the huddle and goes through his pre-snap routines. No one in this class does more, and more on a consistent basis, than Ridder does at the line.

That’s important when it comes to projecting success at the next level. He was asked to do a lot at the line of scrimmage in a pro ready offense, so he is mentally prepared to read coverages, and defenses and adjust protections or plays day one.

His pro comp has been pretty much Ryan Tannehill from most people. I can sort of see it, but then I think about where Tannehill was as a passer his final year in college versus Ridder, and Ridder is just in a much better place with the fundamentals and mental side of the game than Tannehill was.

The downside of this comp for Titans fans, is that most people believe that Tannehill isn’t good enough to win a Super Bowl as quarterback for this team. So I get the apprehension of drafting a guy like Ridder in that regard. But to put it into a perspective, he is a more advanced Ryan Tannehill, given time and growth, he could be better than Tannehill.

Comparing their final seasons in college, he is less turnover prone, more accurate, and a more willing downfield passer than Tannehill. So, if you’re getting a better, cheaper version of Tannehill, who can get your team to the playoffs, why not be more open to the idea, especially since he can sit and learn, and not be thrust into a day one spot.

While Ridder can step into any scheme and find success, he would be most successful in an offense like the Titans, that would utilize his upside as an athlete, but let him thrive off of play-action passes and an offense built around yards after catch.

Sam Howell: The Vertical Passer

• Games Watched (7)
  • 2019 Film: vs Clemson
  • 2020 Film: vs Syracuse, vs Notre Dame, at Miami
  • 2021 Film: at Virgina Tech, at Notre Dame, at Pittsburgh
• Most Common Notes
  • Pros: Had the perfect throwing base as a true Freshman, Ball gets out quickly, keeps his cleats on the ground the most out of draft class, deep balls routinely down the right line, fearless, routinely makes Sunday throws, trusts receivers, easily reads and process the whole field, flips hips with ease, keeps base when under pressure, decisive
  • Cons: Drifts a lot whether its him or how the scheme is taught we don’t know, not scheme transcendent, touch and timing on throws to the flat need work, got sacked a lot

I am in on Sam Howell as a quarterback who can be successful here in Nashville. He’d be my choice for the Titans quarterback of the future. It took a while for me to come around on it, but when you watch the tape you see all the things everyone talked about heading into the 2021 college season.

Howell was a lot of people’s top quarterback prospect after the 2021 NFL Draft, but his passing stats went down across the board in 2021. That’s because he chose to run the ball for 1,106 yards, instead of forcing throws. He lost his top two wide receivers, and top two rushers after the 2020 season, so context is important.

I like how he moves in the pocket to buy the play some time to develop, and the kid just has a gamer mentality. He has shown that he has the confidence you’re looking for, but also make some exciting plays outside of structure. He can also make some explosive throws on the run, and off-platform.

There are concerns about his regression from 2020 to 2021, but let me put it this way: No one should draft an offensive lineman that played at UNC in 2021. The offensive line was absolutely terrible, and the lack of adjustment in games, or throughout the season with the offensive scheming really hung Howell out to dry more often than not.

This doesn’t absolve Howell of everything that went wrong. Howell tends to drift out of the pocket (this could be scheme taught), but that seems to be a common theme with most of the guys in this class, and that is something that can be fixed at the next level.

Howell had fantastic mechanics as a Freshman. Look at the game versus Clemson in 2019, and try to tell me he wasn’t pro ready from the jump. The hype was real, and it surprisingly disappeared among the national media. Which makes me believe that NFL teams are going to be higher on Howell than people think.

Howell won’t need much correcting or re-tooling as a rookie, and for the Titans specifically he can add a dimension to the offense that seemed to be lacking last year: explosive pass plays. Injuries and scheme in 2021 are possible reasons for the Titans’s lack of those, but Tannehill had a real accuracy issue on deep throws when guys were in position to make plays.

Howell doesn’t miss those, he has pinpoint deep ball accuracy and fantastic timing on those throws, always trusting his receivers to be in the right spot to make the catch even with a defender draped over them.

NFL Draft analyst, Matt Miller, has the Titans listed as Howell’s best fit out of all NFL teams. He also says “based on what he knows know, Sam Howell and Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder are names to watch in Tennessee.” For those of you that aren’t familiar, Miller, who has been on Football & Other F Words, is typically tuned in to the Titans and their draft targets/philosophy, so everyone needs to keep in mind that a QB, and those two QBs specifically, as a position to watch for at 26.

Kenny Pickett: The Reluctant Leftover

• Games Watched (4)
  • 2020 Film: at Boston College
  • 2021 Film: at Tennessee, vs Clemson, vs Virginia
• Most Common Notes
  • Pros: Gunslinger, very athletic, make all the throws, can create plays out of structure
  • Cons: Moves after the snap like the field is made of lava, way too wide in his base, creates the a ton of trouble for himself, can be scared to make some tight “NFL open” throws, relies to much on athletic ability to bail him out

If we were doing the normal way of evaluating quarterbacks, Kenny Pickett is my QB5. I think he is a one year wonder, with small hands. However, since we are viewing this from the perspective as best fits for the Titans, he would be the reluctant leftover.

What I mean is that I think they would be settling, based on their board, with taking Pickett at 26. It would feel very forced for this team to make that pick. Pickett desperately will need a team that has everything available to make life easy on him.

So if he goes to a place like the Falcons or Panthers, and is expected to start year one, day one, you’re going to see a Mitchell Trubisky, from his time with the Bears, type player. If he went somewhere like the Steelers or Seahawks he will be just fine. Essentially that’s what his upside is, just fine.

I think he’s a slow processor by NFL standards, who relies on his athletic ability to bail him out way too much. What I found most troubling was his knack for making life so much more difficult for himself than it had to be.

He will turn a simple process like catch, take one step, and throw, into an exhausting and confusing fix or six step drop back and then drifts into pressure creating a chaotic scene. Like I said, his athletic ability, and creativity in out of structure plays often times will make you forget what he did to get to that point in the first place.

I also think out of all the quarterbacks, Pickett lets the effects of pressure get to him, and he is the most prone to seeing ghosts. He often bails unnecessarily from the pocket, and that tends to be when he’s most decisive.

He shows indecisiveness when the play results in him needing to make a throw in the congested area of the field. He often will forego a slant or crossing route even if it is “NFL open”.

He has poor vision, and his pre-snap process leaves a lot to be desired. I am also worried about him being a one year wonder. What happened in season five, yes he was at Pitt for five years, for everything to click?

I think some team will definitely think he’s a day one, year one starter, and that’s fine, but that team better have a everything around him, as plus starters, because he is not a guy who will elevate, he will need to be elevated.

He can be moderately successful in the right scheme, and compared to the other two players left, he fits what the Titans want to do currently, but it would feel like a consolation prize more than anything.

Matt Corral: The Mystery Box

• Games Watched (5)
  • 2020 Film: vs Florida
  • 2021 Film: vs Texas A&M, at Auburn, vs Arkansas, at Mississippi State
• Most Common Notes
  • Pros: Holy crap he’s fast, able to use torque to generate distance, NFL level arm strength, touch and anticipation in tight windows
  • Cons: Scheme made it so easy, super heel clicky with his mechanics, struggles with unnecessary lower half movement, inconsistent on short, easy throws

The best way to describe Matt Corral is that he’s a riddle, inside of a puzzle box, that’s wrapped in an enigma. I really have no clue what Corral can be at the next level other than really fun to watch. He could easily take a Josh Allen like progression in his career if he lands at the right spot, or end up being RG3 and plagued with injuries because of his slender frame.

You can easily become enamored just watching a game from the broadcast view. The offense is creative, it’s fun, and he executes what’s asked of him perfectly. However, that can be a problem, because this offense doesn’t ask a lot of him.

He was in a very quarterback friendly offense that ran a ton of RPOs and schemed easy passes to open receivers, so how will he handle the adversity of NFL tight window throws at the NFl level when he’s never been asked to do so.

Corral is accurate at all levels and often times accuracy is king. He can also scan the full field and rip it, when given time by the offensive line. He has very good timing and anticipation, often times having the ball right in the hands of a receiver at the perfect moment.

He has really great timing in the passing game, but he isn’t that great of a deep thrower. I think he tends to get the ball out of his hands late on deep throws, and for the NFL that will need to change. He also has a tendency to just throw straight line passses without arc.

His mechanics are the biggest issue, and while some quarterbacks can get away with poor mechanics, I am not sure that will be the case for Corral. It can be fixed with the right coaching. He tends to get on his toes too much which is what causes his deep balls to kind of hang up in the air. He also fails to get a proper base, and gets heel clicky in his wind up.

For Tennessee if Corral is there in the third or fourth round, I think you could feel good about taking a chance on a guy with upside learning for a year in the offense. I’d maybe even be okay if there is a trade back, or trade up that results in a very late 2nd round pick and taking him, but the Titans can’t spend a 1st round pick on a player like Corral.

Malik Willis: The Philosophy Changer

• Games Watched (5)
  • 2020 Film: at Virginia
  • 2021 Film: at Syracuse, at Troy, at UAB, at Ole Miss
• Most Common Notes
  • Pros: I love everything I am watching
  • Cons: I am frustrated by silly things that doesn’t matter cause Malik just did a full spin move, and threw a 50 yard dime off platform

Malik Willis is the most fun quarterback in this class to watch, and it’s not even close. I absolutely love everything I am watching when Willis is on the field with the ball in his hands. Draft position aside, I just don’t think he’s going to be in two-tone blue.

All the amazing things that Willis does would be forced to go away here in Nashville based on what we’ve seen this team emphatically say is their offensive philosophy. That’s why I have him listed as The Philosophy Changer, because for him to be successful here, or really anywhere, you have to let Malik Willis be Malik Willis.

Above, I laid out all the negatives in Mahomes’s scouting reports leading up to the draft, and Willis has a lot of the same issues come up on film. Elite arm talent, with scattershot mechanics. So when a team drafts him, they need to work with that.

If the Titans were that team, I would be heartbroken if they muted his talents and forced him into a scheme that doesn’t let him make amazing plays routinely with both his arms and his legs, and we all know that the Titans prefer to play a safer style of offense than the Chiefs or Bills tend to do.

When I see landing spots that could work for Willis, I think of the Giants, where Brian Daboll puts his players in positions they can succeed and maximizes their talents. It took a bit, but he’s been able to let Josh Allen be comfortable enough to go out there and just make plays.

Another team, would be the Seahawks. However, I am reluctant to include them, cause of their run first, old school mentality, but Wilson has been known to improvise in the passing game and make plays while moving, and the Seahawks have two receivers who are deep threats to take advantage of Willis’s arm talents.

On the flip side, if he gets drafted by the Lions, his career is pretty much over. Sometimes you got to let peacocks fly, and Willis is a peacock. He is a dynamic player that needs to land in a creative offense that will consistently move his launch point and just slightly modify his poor mechanics.

If you take the approach that the Chiefs did, where they fixed some issues, but not too much it waters down his strengths, then you got a guy who is going to be able to be absolutely electric for a team.

If I were to trade up for a guy, I am trading up for a guy who can has all the athletic ability in the world, with the strongest arm in the class, Willis is that guy but the Titans would have to join the modern offense.

Bottom Line

Don’t be surprised when the Titans take a quarterback in this years draft. It’s the right strategy in theory, and hopefully in practice it will turn out to be the same.

Trading up for your guy works more often than sticking and picking, and if you have the conviction you need to put your money where your mouth is instead of risking another team agreeing with that evaluation.

I think if you’re looking at the prospects in whether or not you want the offense to evolve or stay the same you got two ideal prospects. Desmond Ridder is the safe bet and they will be able to run the same run forward, play-action heavy offense that the Titans always have run.

If you want to evolve the offense, then you grab the guy who can make every throw not only from the pocket, but out of structure and that guy is Sam Howell. Cannon of an arm that can push the ball downfield, and get those extra yards when your team needs it.

Regardless of what happens, the future is/should be now for the Titans as they look to not only win a Super Bowl this year, but also keep the window open after this year via a rookie quarterback that they believe in with a manageable contract.

Author: Zach LyonsWith over 17 years experience of losing Fantasy Football games, Zach has been a Titans fan since moving to Nashville in 2002. A die-hard Alabama fan, but he doesn't let that cloud his judgement of the Elite Players they have put in the NFL. Players like Derrick Henry, Julio Jones, and AJ McCarron. You've heard him on Football & Other F Words giving his Unfiltered Opinions as facts and that won't change. He's always 100% right even if he has to revise earlier statements. Lawyered.