2020 NFL Draft: Five trade-up targets for the Tennessee Titans

Honorable mention: Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma, Round 2/3

While this particular trade up seems very unlikely at this point, landing an option at quarterback for the future is not a bad idea for the Tennessee Titans.

Yes, the team just gave Ryan Tannehill a four-year contract worth $118 million so it’s pretty clear that they believe he is their guy, at least for the immediate future. But what if it doesn’t pan out?

Marcus Mariota left to the Raiders in free agency, so the only other quarterback on the roster at this point is Logan Woodside. What if teams catch onto Tannehill and the offense he’s been running and the team doesn’t have the success that they had hoped?

When it comes down to it, I do believe that the Tennessee Titans did the right thing in giving Tannehill that contract extension. They surprised many with their level of play down the stretch with him under center last season and I think he is their best shot at replicating that success.

But he is 31-years-old. And prior to coming in partway through the season in 2019 for Mariota, he has found little success to this point in his career in the NFL, particularly as a top ten pick. Sure, he is in a much better position for success now than in his previous home of Miami, but he is far from a sure thing.

Drafting a developmental-type quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft would be a smart move, in my opinion. The organization is clearly confident in what they have in place at the position currently, affording them the luxury of letting their draftee sit and learn for a year or two, or more.

Jordan Love is prospect number one in my mind when it comes to this conversation. Love has absolutely incredible potential as a quarterback prospect, and would really benefit from some time to learn and develop.

His physical ability is absolutely off the charts. He can make throws that so few others can make that he is often uttered in the same breath as Patrick Mahomes as a prospect coming out of college. While he is far from that level of play at this point, I really believe he has that type of potential.

Physically, he’s right there. Where he needs to develop is mentally. Giving him a year or more to learn from some great quarterback minds would be great for his future. Right now, Love makes more than his fair share of bad decisions, trusting his arm too much and not getting through all of his reads. If he can learn how to read a defense and the other nuances of the position, Love could turn into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

If the Titans do want to ensure that they secure Love, they will likely have to jump the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints into the top 22. Both teams could be in need of a quarterback of the future and could be intrigued by Love as a prospect as well. Tennessee already picks ahead of the Green Bay Packers, who have also been linked to Love.

Honorable mention, Jalen Hurts, is a player that I love for the Tennessee Titans. His style of play is very similar to that of Mariota and Tannehill, allowing him to come in and run the offense effectively whenever called upon. Hurts is a very smart player and his even more dynamic athletically than both Mariota and Tannehill, providing even more of a threat with his legs.

Hurts isn’t likely to be a first-rounder, so based on what they hear about his sweet spot (likely somewhere in the second or third round) Tennessee could move into a position to snag him if they like him as well as I do.