NFL Rumors: C.J. Stroud Eyed in Trade Up by Titans Ahead of 2023 Draft

The Tennessee Titans are reportedly exploring the possibility of trading up in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft to select Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston, the Titans are targeting the No. 3 overall pick currently held by the Arizona Cardinals in the event that the Carolina Panthers take Alabama quarterback Bryce Young No. 1 overall as expected and the Houston Texans pass on Stroud at No. 2 overall.

Wilson noted that the Texans have Young ahead of Stroud on their draft board, and if Young goes first overall, the expectation is that Houston will take a defensive player.

The Titans currently hold the No. 11 overall pick in the draft, meaning it will likely be quite costly to move up to No. 3.

Tennessee already has an established veteran quarterback in Ryan Tannehill, but after going 7-10 last season and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018, it may be time to start looking toward the future.

Although Tannehill has enjoyed a great deal of success as the Titans' quarterback, going 36-19 as a starter, he will turn 35 before the 2023 season starts, and he is coming off a down year.

Tannehill missed five games due to injury and wasn't as effective as in years past when healthy, completing 65.2 percent of his passes for 2,536 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.

The Titans offensive struggles weren't all on Tannehill, though, as his offensive line often failed to protect him, and his top target in wide receiver, AJ Brown, was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Stroud would perhaps be stepping into a tough situation in Tennessee due to question marks along the offensive line and in the receiving corps, but the Titans do still boast all-world running back Derrick Henry.

Also, there wouldn't necessarily be pressure on Stroud to step in and play right away, as he could conceivably sit behind Tannehill for the entire 2023 season before assuming the starting role in 2024.

If the Titans do take Stroud, it would perhaps already end the hopes of Malik Willis being a factor for the team moving forward.

Tennessee selected Willis in the third round of last year's draft, but he failed to impress in three starts as a rookie, and the Titans opted to go with journeyman Joshua Dobbs over him late in the season when Tannehill was injured.

There are some concerns among draft experts and talent evaluators when it comes to Stroud, including a lack of success from Ohio State quarterbacks in the NFL in recent years.

Also, Stroud reportedly scored poorly on the S2 cognitive test, calling into question his ability to read and quickly process information in the heat of an NFL game.

Stroud was hugely productive in two seasons as the starter at OSU, though, finishing inside the top five in Heisman Trophy voting twice, and the Titans will be betting on that production translating to the NFL if they trade up to take him.