Tennessee Titans: Top five team needs heading into the 2020 NFL Draft

Quarterback and Running Back

With the Tennessee Titans are in clear “win now” mode, it may seem silly to spend valuable draft capital at the two positions that the team has the most money wrapped up in right now. But it’s the front office’s job to always keep the future in mind and prepare their franchise for not only this season but for the years ahead.

Now I’m not suggesting that the Tennessee Titans should trade up for a top quarterback or be one of the first teams in the 2020 NFL Draft to select a running back. I’m just saying that if the value is there, these positions should not be ignored.

It seems pretty clear that the organization believes in Ryan Tannehill as their quarterback for the near future. His new contract extension exhibits that confidence, and I think they did the right thing in doing that, given his great success leading the team last year.

But are we 100% certain that Tannehill can sustain his level of success from 2019 for the next four+ seasons? Tannehill is 31-years-old and after a disappointing stint in Miami, just managed to find success part-way through this past season after Mariota was benched. Sure, maybe the system is just a perfect match and he can keep the Tennessee Titans as playoff contenders for the next handful of seasons. But an insurance policy and plan for the future wouldn’t be bad to have.

Now the 2020 NFL Draft quarterback class is very top-heavy, so I think the Tennessee Titans would have to spend a pick in the top half of the draft if they want to bring in a viable starting option. So if the value isn’t there, the Titans shouldn’t reach. But if a guy like Jalen Hurts falls to the third round, I really like that fit.

Henry was franchise tagged so he is set to become a free agent once again next year. While Henry seems to be the true focal point of this offense, giving large contracts to running backs has not worked well for the majority of the teams that have done it.

I really think Henry should be the exception to that “rule”, given the makeup of this team and their offense. But if Robinson and Vrabel think they can fill his role with another back, the Titans may decide to move on. Every year teams find a running back that contributes greatly to their team in the late rounds of the draft.

I would be surprised if Tennessee didn’t take a stab at the position late in the 2020 NFL Draft. Be it to gain a compliment to Henry given the departure of Dion Lewis (someone like Antonio Gibson) or an heir to Henry’s throne (a power back like A.J. Dillon), I expect the Tennessee Titans to draft a running back at some point in the 2020 NFL Draft.