Every team with a high draft pick usually wants one of two things. Either they want to draft a blue-chip, franchise-changing player, or they want to get someone to give them a king's ransom to move down. Unfortunately for the Tennessee Titans, a move like that probably won't happen this year.
If that is the case, then the Titans need to use the fourth pick in the draft to bring in the most impactful player available when they are on the clock. However, when GM Mike Borgonzi took the Titans job last year, he repeatedly said that he wanted to find a way to have 12 picks in the top-100 over his first three years.
Last year, that manifested itself with a trade down in the second round, and that move ended up netting the Titans another top-100 selection, bringing their total to three. This year, they are scheduled to have three more (and three more in 2027), but that still leaves them three short of the goal that Borgonzi was so adamant about.
If history is a teacher, then Titans fans should expect Borgonzi to attempt a trade down at the top of the second round this year. The question isn't whether or not he will attempt another trade down; the question is which team is going to be the most interested in jumping up to the top of the second round.
NFL Draft: Trade-down targets for the Tennessee Titans in the second round
New York Jets
The Buffalo Sabres just clinched a playoff berth for the first time in 14 years, which means the New York Jets stand alone as the team with the longest playoff drought in all major North American sports. That brutal reality won't be lost on Jets ownership, and Aaron Glenn is going to be on the hot seat immediately this year.
The Jets have two first-round selections this year and three more in 2027, so this isn't a team that needs to maximize every pick. Instead, they need to use this opportunity to target players they love on Day 2 to support the five first-round picks that will be the core of their roster going forward. With a trade-up, the Jets could have four top-35 selections this season, and all it would cost them is the 44th pick and a second-round pick in 2027, very similar to what the L.A. Rams traded away to get Braden Fiske two years ago.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers need a quarterback of the future, and they could allow that rookie quarterback to develop behind Aaron Rodgers for a season. However, their roster isn't strong enough to reach for a quarterback in the first round, and they need to focus on adding an impact player to get out of the doldrums of the AFC.
With No. 53 and three third-round selections, the Steelers are the ideal team to target in a trade down because they are likely to overpay for a move that high. The Titans could take advantage of the depth of this draft with picks 53, 66, and 76.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are a trainwreck from a talent perspective, and they are nowhere near close enough to be thinking about drafting a quarterback. What they do have is 11 draft picks this year (including four third-rounders) and eight next season.
Having a lot of draft capital is great, but a team rarely keeps an entire rookie class when they have nearly a dozen picks. Instead of trying to force 11 rookies on the roster, they should use that capital to maneuver in the draft and add real talent that will help put an eventual rookie quarterback in a position to succeed in 2027. Who knows, if they make the perfect moves, then their investment in former Titans quarterback Malik Willis might keep them from needing a new quarterback in 2027.
If they traded up with the Titans, they would have three picks in the top-35, and it would allow them to focus heavily on the offensive line and wide receiver positions. A revamped offensive line, De'Von Achane, and a promising collection of young receivers would be a great supporting cast for their expensive free agent addition now or a rookie quarterback down the line.
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