5 prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft with the best chance to be Tennessee Titans
By Will Lomas
1. C.J. Stroud QB, Ohio State
" "'I was standing there with Stroud at the (Ohio State) Pro Day and (Mike) Vrabel came over and said: 'Hey, go take a shower and let's meet in the wide receiver room.' So, there's a relationship there, obviously with Vrabel and his background at Ohio State.'""
- Todd McShay on Titans' Stroud interest
This is the most speculative fit on this list, but there are reasons for that. A month ago, C.J. Stroud falling to 11 was a pipe dream, and while that is still virtually impossible, his perceived fall down draft boards could provide the Tennessee Titans a legitimate chance to draft up to get him.
The connections he has to the Titans start with Mike Vrabel who has to have intimate knowledge of Stroud considering his deep ties to Ohio State and Ryan Day. His obvious talent and Vrabel's insight led the team to send both the Head Coach and the GM to Ohio State's Pro Day.
Initially, it seemed like both were there to watch Stroud but to do their homework on Paris Johnson, the top offensive tackle in this draft class. However, Todd McShay said that Vrabel was paying a lot of attention to Stroud
"'I was standing there with Stroud at the (Ohio State) Pro Day and (Mike) Vrabel came over and said: 'Hey, go take a shower and let's meet in the wide receiver room.' So, there's a relationship there, obviously with Vrabel and his background at Ohio State.'"
Even more interesting, this was a story that was shared on the team's official website, so time will tell whether that is a smokescreen or fodder for an "I told you so" type of article down the road.