People are making this massive mistake concerning Titans' NFL Draft plans

Over the last month, the trendy mock draft pick for the Tennessee Titans has been Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. There's been significant debate over whether or not that's the best decision for the team.

One major concern that is being pushed aside is the positional value argument. Proponents of Love have some strong arguments for why he makes sense. If he is the transformational running back that people think he might be, that is the kind of weapon that makes life much easier for a young quarterback.

Arming the offense with Love would give Cam Ward a new weapon to go along with his improved collection of pass catchers. It could even lead to teams showing fewer defensive looks with two high safeties because they would need to put more people in the box to slow down Love.

The biggest NFL Draft misconception about the Tennessee Titans

Those are the positives, and on paper, you can see why drafting Love sounds enticing. However, the reality is that the league just doesn't view running backs as that important. Mark Tyler summed this point up very well in a tweet on Monday morning.

While he is slightly underselling Trey Hendrickson and Alec Pierce, it isn't some wild mischaracterization. Something Tyler didn't mention is that the top running back who just won Super Bowl MVP two months ago also hit free agency. Kenneth Walker is 26 years old, in the prime of his career, and he just signed a contract worth $14.3 million per season, half as much as Pierce got to re-sign with the Indianapolis Colts.

Running backs are easier to find beyond the first round of the draft, cheaper on the open market, and the drop off from the elite to good is less noticeable than in premium positions like quarterback, wide receiver, EDGE, and offensive tackle.

In theory, it makes sense to say, "Just grab the highest graded player; it is better than reaching for a need." But the truth is, the league is telling everyone what they believe based on how they are spending their money. The NFL agrees that it is twice as beneficial to have a good premium position player as opposed to a great or elite player at a non-premium position.

One more example of how this line of thinking can be misleading: the Baltimore Ravens were praised for years for selecting center Tyler Linderbaum, who was expected to be a franchise cornerstone for a decade. However, as soon as his rookie contract expired, Linderbaum took a massive contract to leave the Ravens, and that team is still desperate for help at premium positions like wide receiver and EDGE.

If he were a receiver or an EDGE who was as good at his job as Linderbaum is at his job as a center, the Ravens probably would have re-signed him, actually treating him like a decade-long cornerstone he's said to be.

Titans fans need to brace themselves for Mike Borgonzi making the right move instead of the move that will get the most praise on draft day, even if Love would be a very fun addition.