NFL Draft 2023 Rumors: Titans Trying to Trade Up in Round 2 amid Will Levis Slide

The Tennessee Titans reportedly are exploring trades to move up in the second round of the NFL draft when it resumes on Friday, according to reporter Mike Giardi.

The Titans currently hold the No. 10 pick in the second round (No. 41 overall). But with Kentucky quarterback Will Levis sliding and a number of teams above the Titans potentially interested in a quarterback, including the Los Angeles Rams (No. 36), Seattle Seahawks (No. 37), Las Vegas Raiders (No. 38) and New Orleans Saints (No. 40), the Titans may need to move up the board if they want to be the team to end Levis' slide.

There certainly appears to be some potential action in play for early picks in the second round, with Levis' name surfacing as a potential target:

It wouldn't be a shock to see the Titans make a move for Levis.

As Nick Suss of the Nashville Tennessean noted, "The Titans were long rumored to pick Levis at No. 11. Now they might have a chance to pick him No. 41, betting on his big arm and perfect build despite his question marks with consistency and turnovers."

One of the curious factors about the possibility of Levis going early in the second round, however, is why a team would jump higher in the draft on Friday instead of making that move at the very end of the first round. Picking Levis on Thursday would have meant securing a fifth-round option on his contract, giving a team one more year of control before needing to agree on an extension or go the franchise tag route.

In other words, it's possible his slide could continue.

The Titans also may not be in the Levis market at all. The team has other needs, most prominently at wide receiver, but also in the trenches on both sides of the ball, defensive back and even tight end.

Players like Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer, Georgia Tech edge-rusher Keion White, Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and Alabama safety Brian Branch were all considered potential first-round picks and remain on the board. A wideout like North Carolina's Josh Downs could also make sense for Tennessee.

So it's hardly a guarantee that Levis is the target if the Titans move up to the top of the second round. But it's hard to ignore the possibility given Ryan Tannehill's declining play in recent seasons and the prior buzz connecting Tennessee to Levis.