Titans’ NFL Draft strategy impacted by blockbuster Jaylen Waddle trade between the Dolphins and Broncos
The Titans pick at 4th and 35th overall, and forecasting what the board looks like in Round 2 may impact what they do in Round 1. This trade just changed that math.
A big trade rocked the NFL world on Tuesday morning, with WR Jaylen Waddle heading to join the Denver Broncos. The Dolphins traded the star receiver for Denver’s first, third, and fourth round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Dolphins are being honest about where they are, embracing the tank by getting younger and resetting this roster. This move certainly brings the Malik Willis signing into question, who is a loser in this situation. There’s a pretty serious difference between his surrounds in Green Bay and what he’ll be working with in Miami now! Even if they are intent on not being very competitive in 2026, Willis has to have some more help around him.
And this is where things start to impact the Tennessee Titans.
Jaylen Waddle trade changes the math for the Titans’ second round draft pick
Offense or defense in Round 1? That’s becoming the central question of the Titans’ draft situation, with a consensus building behind the options being RB Jeremiyah Love or a top edge rusher at 4th overall. GM Mike Borgonzi gave the defense a lot of love in the first wave of free agency, but that’s because that side of the ball needed the most attention. Nonetheless, it has painted a picture of an offense-heavy draft making sense for the Titans to continue adding talent around Cam Ward.
If neither of the Titans’ first two picks are offensive weapons, it will feel like a dereliction of duty to your franchise quarterback. So forecasting the run on WR between 4 and 35, where the Titans pick in Round 2, is pretty critical. There is no running back or tight end I expect them to seriously consider at 35, so it’s pretty much down to receiver there if you come out of Round 1 with a defender and still want a premium weapon for Ward.
Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, and Jordyn Tyson are the receivers we’re confident will be long gone by pick 35. The next tier is who you have to consider, which includes Washington WR Denzel Boston, Texas A&M WR KC Conception, Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr, Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell, and then you can quibble over the inclusion of Alabama WR Germie Bernard and Louisville WR Chris Bell. When will the run on this group begin?
The Dolphins joining the back half of the first round with pick 30 directly impacts that. We typically see a run on receivers in the draft somewhere in the 20’s or early 30’s, and this year’s board is set up to spark it. Beginning with the Chargers at pick 21, you have the Eagles at 22, Browns at 24, 49ers at 27, Chiefs at 29, Dolphins newly at 30, and Jets at 33 who all need receiver help. The Browns and Dolphins could spell double trouble in pushing the run on receivers along since they also pick at 6 and 11 respectively. Either (or both) of them could start the ball rolling by taking one of Tate, Lemon, or Tyson with those first picks.
The point is that for a potential Titans WR target to fall to them at 35, they have to pass through a treacherous run of WR-needy teams first. And the Dolphins trading away their only star receiver to join the end of the first round only increases the likelihood that their target(s) fail to reach them.
I think the Titans’ best hope on this front is seeing the run on tier 2 edge rushers beginning first. There is a congruence between WR and EDGE in this class at this price point. Miami EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Clemson EDGE TJ Parker, Texas A&M EDGE Cashius Howell, Missouri EDGE Zion Young, and Oklahoma EDGE R Mason Thomas are all the kind of player we see sneak into the first round each year. If they start coming off the board a bit early, it could become a supply and demand issue that postpones a receiver run.
These are the things the Titans front office will spend countless hours discussing, investigating, and simulating together for the next month ahead of showtime.