The Tennessee Titans hold the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, potentially playing a massive impact on what the Cleveland Browns will be able to do. If the Titans like someone at No. 1 and believe they’ll be their franchise quarterback, trading the pick wouldn’t make sense. The same could be said for the Browns at No. 2, but there’s also a scenario where Cleveland doesn’t love whoever is left at No. 2 if the Titans draft who they want.
Still, it isn’t as easy as the Titans and Browns wanting someone. The No. 1 and 2 pick in the draft is an important piece for both teams, who were the two worst in football last season. Even if they found a franchise quarterback, there are questions about them as a team.
That’s where trading the pick could come into play. A team like the Las Vegas Raiders might believe they need a quarterback to compete in a loaded AFC and want to do so sooner rather than later.
That’s exactly what Sam Russell of Bleacher Nation predicted to happen, writing that the Titans will move the No. 1 pick to the Raiders to draft Shedeur Sanders.
“It is going to be a wild ride leading up to the NFL Draft with teams like the Titans, Browns, Giants, and Raiders needing quarterbacks with only two legitimate first-round options available. The Raiders might get scared and move up to no. 1 on draft day to score a franchise quarterback.
“If they do, they take Shedeur Sanders and start building for the future. It’s a risk to give up multiple first-round picks but Las Vegas has an insane amount of cap room to address depth at other positions in free agency,” Russell wrote on January 23.
Are Titans Open to Moving the Pick?
All the Cleveland Browns will be able to do is hope that the Tennessee Titans draft someone they don’t want. If it’s Sanders or Ward, assuming the Browns want one of them, the Titans taking the other would be ideal.
But that would mean the Titans want the pick, and that might not be the case.
Titans GM Mike Borgonzi recently said draft picks are the Titans’ “biggest form of currency,” highlighting that he might be willing to trade the pick for more.
“Draft picks are our biggest form of currency, so when there’s opportunities to trade back to collect more picks, we’re going to do that,” Borgonzi said on January 23 during his introductory news conference, according to ESPN’s Turron Davenport.
He later added that he wouldn’t pass on a generational player, but they’re open to exploring avenues.
“We’re going to look at all avenues as far as that number one pick,” Brinker said. “But we won’t pass on a generational talent with the first pick in the NFL Draft.”
Should the Browns Be Worried?
If the Cleveland Browns want to win this draft, they need to be ready to act swiftly. Whether it’s drafting who they want at No. 2, finding a franchise quarterback elsewhere and selecting a different player, or trading the pick for more assets, this is an important step.
There isn’t any reason to be worried just yet. However, when the Browns start meeting with players, and if someone like the Las Vegas Raiders jumps them, there might be a reason to stress.
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Raiders Predicted to Jump Browns by Trading for No. 1 Pick