Derrick Henry got the perfect send-off to end his historic run with the Tennessee Titans, and that moment gave a lot of fans the closure they needed heading into the offseason.
That shocking Week 18 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars was the perfect epitome of the Mike Vrabel/Ryan Tannehill/Henry era. However, a new article from The Athletic exposes how close we were to not having that moment.
Dan Pompei's article was focused on Henry and how he ended up with the Baltimore Ravens. In that article, he says that Henry almost joined the Ravens months earlier when there was a deal in place for them to acquire Henry near the NFL trade deadline.
Ran Carthon was ready to make the move in exchange for, "a fourth-round pick that could have become a third had Henry reached certain production levels." But that move was vetoed (by some unknown Titans party) and the rest was history.
Some fans think that Week 18 game was worth it and they don't have any regrets, while others look back and think trading Henry in exchange for draft capital would have been a worthwhile move.
Considering how far the Ravens went in the playoffs, paired with Henry's history of improved play in the colder months, it is pretty safe to assume that Henry could have hit whatever escalators to give the Titans the Ravens' third-round pick, which was 93rd overall.
If Titans fans want to continue to track whether this was a good or bad move going forward, there is a reasonable way to do that.
Three of the Titans' first four draft picks were players that they visited with throughout the draft process. Using that strong trend, six drafted players spent time with the Titans who were available with the 93rd pick.
Jalyx Hunt, EDGE, Houston Christian (94th pick)
The Titans did not draft an edge rusher until the seventh round (Jaylen Harrell). Hunt was an intriguing small-school prospect that lit up the Senior Bowl and pre-draft testing process.
McKinnley Jackson, DL, Texas A&M (97th pick)
Would the Titans have doubled down at defensive tackle after drafting T'Vondre Sweat in the second round? Probably not, but it's worth acknowledging Jackson since the Titans spent one-on-time with him.
Since the Titans drafted Cedric Gray with the 106th pick, any player after this point would have been drafted at 106, making Gray the 93rd selection.
Devontez Walker, WR, North Carolina (113th pick)
This would have occurred before the Titans drafted Jha'Quan Jackson. Devontez Walker has a highly-intriguing skill set with "X" receiver tendencies.
Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Missouri (145th pick)
Same logic here as the Gray elevation, except with Jarvis Brownlee, who was drafted with the 146th pick. Chances of them doubling down at cornerback weren't high, but sources indicated to our Justin Melo that the Titans liked Kris Abrams-Draine quite a bit.
Rasheen Ali, RB, Marshall (165th pick)
The Titans did not draft a running back, but taking a late filer on Rasheen Ali would have been interesting. The Titans did add a bunch of running backs in undrafted free agency, so it was a position they focused on throughout Day Three.
Caelen Carson DB, Wake Forest (174th pick)
Any of these six players could have been Titans, but considering the lack of depth at EDGE, Hunt is especially interesting to consider.
On top of that, he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles to join a defensive line that was partially built by new Titans defensive line coach Tracy Rocker. Throw in the fact that Eagles players said publicly that they wish that Dennard Wilson would have been promoted to DC last year, and you can see why the Eagles and Titans might have been looking for similar qualities in EDGEs.
Another thing to consider is that the Titans traded a 2025 third-round pick for L'Jarius Sneed. If the Titans had traded Henry, they could have opted to trade this pick to the Chiefs for Sneed. That would have kept their 2025 draft class whole and they would have flipped a 30-year-old running back into one of the best cornerbacks in the league, which is a dream from a roster-building standpoint.
After an offseason where Ran Carthon made some incredible moves, hopefully he never gets vetoed again on a smart move he's positioned to make.