The Tennessee Titans were reportedly trying to trade up to the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft in order to select quarterback C.J. Stroud, but that did not come to fruition and instead the Titans came away with a solid pick in offensive tackle Peter Skoronski with the 11th selection.
Tennessee’s attempt to land Stroud apparently fell short because of the Houston Texans, who grabbed the Ohio State quarterback at No. 2 overall, effectively throwing a wrench in the Titans’ plans.
After that splash, the Texans pulled off another big move when they traded up from No. 12 to No. 3 with the Arizona Cardinals in order to select Alabama stud edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.
The trade saw the Texans give up pick Nos. 12 and 33 in this year’s draft, as well as a first-rounder and third-rounder in 2024, a small price to pay for Houston adding a potential franchise cornerstone on each side of the ball.
Following the Texans were the Indianapolis Colts at No. 4, a pick they used on Florida signal-caller, Anthony Richardson, who is loaded with physical talent but is considered raw and is expected to need time to develop.
It’ll be interesting to see if Richardson can speed up that projected timeline or if the Colts will hand the keys to veteran Gardner Minshew to start the season.
Nevertheless, the Colts nabbed their franchise quarterback, also, giving the AFC South two new gunslingers in what has become an increasingly competitive division.
The Jaguars’ pick didn’t come around until later in the night at No. 24 overall. Jacksonville did not stick and pick in that spot, though, with the team trading back twice and ultimately landing at No. 27 where the Jags took offensive tackle Anton Harrison out of Oklahoma.
As a result of their two trades that only moved them back three spots, the Jaguars added pick Nos. 130, 160 and 240.
I’ve seen some people claim that Ryan Tannehill, who remains the projected starter after the Titans didn’t land a quarterback in Round 1, is now the worst quarterback in the division.
That’s silly talk considering we have no clue what Richardson or Stroud will turn out to be, no matter the hype. Until they prove otherwise, Tannehill gets the edge over both and is at worst the second-best signal-caller in the AFC South behind Trevor Lawrence.
