Ran Carthon sings different tune about 2024 Titans draft compared to last season
INDIANAPOLIS — At the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, Tennessee Titans GM Ran Carthon made it very clear that the Titans were "open for business" with the 11th overall pick. Tennessee was actively fielding calls to trade down in the draft and making calls about trading up in the draft. While none of those trade scenarios […]
INDIANAPOLIS — At the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, Tennessee Titans GM Ran Carthon made it very clear that the Titans were "open for business" with the 11th overall pick.
Tennessee was actively fielding calls to trade down in the draft and making calls about trading up in the draft. While none of those trade scenarios came to fruition, the first-year GM was not afraid to let teams know where he stood.
At the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, Carthon was singing a different tune. While he is always going to listen, Carthon came off in Indianapolis like a GM who has little interest in moving from his current spot.
"I like seven. But I'm open," said Carthon when asked if the Titans were interested in trading their draft pick. "We have to listen to any offers that may come. Our long term goal is to build this football team into a consistent winner, and the way you do that is building through the draft. And off of that, you need draft picks to do that. So, would definitely be willing to listen. But it has to make sense for us."
Later on, in a side session with the local media, Carthon compared the calls he is getting this year to last year. There doesn't seem to be the same level of interest among other teams, despite the Titans having an even pick.
"I hadn't even thought about that. Nobody's really been nosy. Which can be a good or bad thing. Which means that if they do plan on being nosy it's going to come all at once. But like I said up there, we owe it to the organization to listen to any calls that come. We just haven't got them yet," said Carthon.
"Nosy" was how Carthon described other GMs during his media availability at the combine in 2023. He doesn't feel the same way this time around.
The Titans do not have a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, so there is a case to be made for trading down to receive extra picks in the middle of the draft. But given the high-end talent that is in this year's draft class, that's a big risk.
I think this will be a much quieter draft season for Tennessee than what we got last year. Leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft, rumors about the Titans trading up for a quarterback were plentiful. The draft is wild for teams in the quarterback market.
With Will Levis looking like the starting quarterback in 2024 and beyond, I'd bet things are going to be a bit calmer this time around. Stick and pick at seven and address one of your biggest needs.
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