As of this writing, the names of nearly a dozen of the draft prospects that the Tennessee Titans will host for pre-draft visits have been revealed. While the teams that host those players don't always draft them, at worst, it means the teams involved want more information on that prospect, indicating that they do have significant interest in the player.
Looking at the Titans' list, most of the names are easy to understand. High-level prospects like Rueben Bain and Jeremiyah Love have confirmed their visits, while some stars like Caleb Downs haven't been mentioned because those aren't players the Titans are likely to seriously consider.
Then there are names on the list that could point to a potential trade-up from the early second round to the later part of the first round, or they could be names that have a non-zero chance of falling to the second round for one issue or another. Guys like KC Concepcion, Zion Young, and Makai Lemon (after his strange behavior at the NFL Combine) are all players the team is going to bring in for visits who don't make any sense with their first-round pick.
Then there is one player who doesn't fit into either category. Someone who is gaining momentum as a top-10 prospect in this class, but he plays a position that the Titans heavily invested in this offseason. That is LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.
Titans' strangest pre-draft visit indicates Mike Borgonzi is assessing trade-down option
Delane had an incredible final season in college, and he has one of the best mic-drop stats in this entire class. All season long, he only allowed 10 receptions for less than 120 yards, and no one he covered had more than one reception against him. It is hard to wrap your head around that stat when you consider the schedule he had to play at LSU.
However, the Titans just spent a combined $115 million on cornerbacks Alontae Taylor, Cordale Flott, and Joshua Williams, and the messaging from Taylor and reports have been clear that they believe he is going to play on the boundary this season.
Remember, these aren't one-year deals for older veterans either; these are three-year deals with players who are just getting their second contract. Those are players you build your team around, not players you plan on replacing any time soon.
Even more interesting, GM Mike Borgonzi comes from a front office that has thrived on drafting Day 3 defensive backs and developing them. It is much more likely that the Titans would spend a late-round pick on a cornerback and let him slowly develop into a starter that can take over once their contracts expire, instead of spending a first-round pick on a cornerback after that spending spree.
Teams only get 30 of these visits, so it is important to pay attention to them, but their interest in Delane is a mystery. Could they be looking at options for a trade down? Do they think there is a reason he might fall to the second round? It is hard to say right now, but as of today, Delane and projected third-round pick Treydan Stukes from Arizona are the only cornerbacks that the Titans are known to be hosting for one of these pre-draft visits.