The Titans could be the berserker team that throws all of the mock drafts out of whack.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that Tennessee is eyeing to move up in the 2023 NFL Draft and that they “have had conversations about a potential trade up to [pick] No. 3,” which the Arizona Cardinals currently hold.
Rapoport’s tweet came after Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk had initially reported that the Titans were in talks to swap with Arizona at that same pick — but that disgruntled Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins would also go back to the Titans in a deal.
Rapoport claimed that while it was true the Titans had been eyeing a trade to No. 3 — among other spots in the draft — Hopkins was not involved in those negotiations.
ESPN’s Dianna Russini wrote on Twitter that the Cardinals were “being patient” and had not yet struck a deal to move out of the third overall pick.
It remains to be seen whose sources are correct, as with mere minutes to go until the draft, information remains curiously sparse about which players teams plan on taking.
With Kyler Murray under contract long-term (albeit injured), Arizona is widely expected to make a trade out of the third pick with a quarterback-hungry team at the top of the board.
That team could be the Titans, who have Ryan Tannehill under contract — but only for one more season.
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is the presumptive No. 1 pick to the Panthers, with Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis, and Florida’s Anthony Richardson as the other quarterback to watch.
Other teams that could be eyeing a quarterback include the Raiders, Falcons, and Patriots — as well as the Texans, who have a second selection at No. 12 if they choose to pass at quarterback with the second overall pick.