Another insider links C.J. Stroud with Titans ahead of NFL Draft

Yet another NFL insider has linked the Tennessee Titans with Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud ahead of the opening night of the NFL Draft next Thursday. 

For a piece published Friday, ESPN's Matt Miller predicted that the Titans could send picks No. 11 and No. 72 in this year's draft along with a 2024 first-round selection and a 2025 first-round choice to the Arizona Cardinals to move up to the third-overall pick and leapfrog the division-rival Indianapolis Colts (pick No. 4) in the draft order. Tennessee could then acquire its chosen young quarterback believed to be Stroud. 

For this to be a possibility, the Houston Texans would first have to pass on Stroud with the second-overall pick assuming the Carolina Panthers take Alabama Crimson Tide signal-caller Bryce Young with choice No. 1 as expected. As of Friday afternoon, multiple in-the-know individuals were forecasting Houston will take Alabama star pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. at No. 2. 

ESPN NFL Draft guru Todd McShay recently noted that Tennessee head coach and former Ohio State player Mike Vrabel has a "relationship" with Stroud. Meanwhile, Oddschecker had Stroud listed as the betting favorite at +250 odds to go third overall as of Friday. 

Titans general manager Ran Carthon, who only accepted the job this past winter, said in February that he's "excited about moving forward with" veteran Ryan Tannehill on the roster. However, Tannehill is in the final year of his contract and turns 35 years old in July, and there's currently no indication Carthon has any plans to extend the quarterback's deal. 

Also on Friday, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero ranked Stroud second among quarterbacks behind only Young in this draft class. 

"Stroud’s very interesting to me because I think he’s still growing as a passer," one NFC quarterbacks coach told Pelissero. In Miller's scenario, Stroud could do that growing while sitting behind Tannehill for at least a portion of the 2023 NFL season.