Tennessee Titans’ Fleecing of Rams Pays Off With #5 Overall Draft Pick

Perhaps the biggest winners of this week’s upcoming NFL draft are the Tennessee Titans. The Titans have two first round picks including the fifth overall spot which was presented to them in a trade so lopsided that it might as well have been grand larceny.

Looking to make a big splash in the season that they returned to Los Angeles, the Rams wanted to roll out a local hero to sell tickets. Therefore, they packaged a plethora of picks to exchange with Tennessee in order to draft Jared freaking Goff with the Titans’ first overall pick last year.

To say that Goff’s rookie season was an unqualified disaster is an understatement and not only did the Rams mortgage their future on a guy who may have been a great player during his career at the University of California but couldn’t even beat out the bumbling Case Keenum for the starting gig.

The Titans now have a top five pick as well as their own pick at number eighteen and should be able to get some desperately needed help for budding superstar quarterback Marcus Mariotta as well as an impact defensive player. They can also trade down down to accumulate more picks to add to their current eight and are not shy about pulling the trigger as last year’s shearing of the Rams showed.

With Tennessee seeming set at the running back position behind rejuvenated pounder DeMarco Murray and young former Alabama stud Derrick Henry the team packs one of the best one-two punches in the AFC if not the entire league.

The former Heisman Trophy winner Mariotta who is entering his third season could use some reliable receivers to throw the rock to and perhaps no one would fit the bill more than Washington Husky speedster John Ross. The fleet-footed, sure-handed Ross hauled in 17 touchdowns for the Pac-12 champs and is highly coveted by teams in need of a burner. Clemson’s Mike Williams and USC’s JuJu Smith-Schuster are other options at WR.

While none of them may be worthy of the fifth pick the Titans could snag one of the top cornerbacks like Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore or LSU Safety Jamal Adams if either is available. Another option would be Alabama tight end O.J. Howard. Tennessee could then address the receiver position with their second first round pick.

The AFC South is wide open considering the quarterback issues that have plagued the Houston Texans and injury problems that have decimated the rudderless Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee could have a good shot at the division title this year if they are able to parlay those two early picks into help for young Mariotta.