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Titans Were Reportedly Targeting C.J. Stroud In 2023 NFL Draft

The Tennessee Titans were a team that everyone was keeping an eye on during the 2023 NFL Draft. There were a lot of rumors that Tennessee was going to try making a move up the board to put themselves in a position to select one of the available quarterbacks.

Eventually, that is exactly what happened. In Round 2, the Titans made a trade with the Arizona Cardinals, acquiring the No. 33 and No. 81 overall picks in exchange for the No. 41, No. 72 and a 2024 third-round pick.

With the No. 33 overall pick, the Titans stopped the slide of Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. Levis was widely projected to be one of the first players selected in the first round, as reports circulated that he was telling friends and family that the Carolina Panthers were going to select him first.

Levis lands in a decent spot in Tennessee. He will have his work cut out for him as Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said that Levis will be QB3 to start. Ryan Tannehill is the starter, for now, with 2022 third-round pick Mailk Willis as his backup. Of course, things could change as Levis will be given chances to move up the depth chart.

While he has a long road ahead of him to be a starter, Levis should be the Titans were able to make a move for him. Because, if things had gone according to plan for Tennessee, they would have made a move up in Round 1.

According to Albert Breer via Dov Kleiman on Twitter, the Titans were attempting to make a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 3 spot. But, they had their eyes on Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud. Once Stroud was selected second by the Houston Texans, they pulled out of trade talks.

The Texans ended up making a trade with the Cardinals and selected Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. The cost was steep as the Texans traded the Nos. 12 and 33 picks in this year’s draft in addition to a first and third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Arizona sent back the No. 105 pick to complete the deal.

It would have likely cost the Titans, who had the No. 11 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, something very similar to that to move up to No. 3. While they saved some future draft capital, only time will tell who becomes the better player between Stroud and Levis, who will face off twice a season as AFC South foes.

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