For a month and a half, Tennessee Titans fans have been thinking about what the team can do in the offseason to get better because they had already chalked this season up as a lost cause. Many fans went as far as to say that this team was going 0-17, and whether that was hyperbole or not, it was a good snapshot of what the fan base felt the level of hope was.
However, after a win against the Indianapolis Colts, where the defense and special teams looked outstanding, there is hope in the city again. If the Titans can win that game without getting little help from their offense could more wins be in store?
Every Titans fan is riding high after beating a division rival, and it feels like this could be a turning point for this franchise if they play their cards right. The question is, do you, the Titans fan reading this, want the team to win or lose?
Titans face dilemma of winning vs. drafting Jeremiah Smith
What if the Titans turn the corner and wins six games this season? That means that this team would win six of their final 12 games of the year (including the win against the Colts in Week 6), and it has been five years since the Titans had a .500 record.
However, there are no guarantees there when it comes to Cam Ward. Fans just saw that the offense can limp through a game and win on the back of their defense and special teams, so a six-win season doesn't guarantee proof that Ward is going to be a franchise quarterback.
What it would prove is that this team is undoubtedly improved from the 2024 and 2025 versions and that Robert Saleh has proof of concept that his process works. Something he can tangibly point to that will relax the fan base and ownership and give this team some much-needed patience. While not guaranteed, it almost certainly also means that the young foundational pieces on this team are continuing to develop.
Titans should value winning over NFL Draft positioning
A six-win team usually drafts somewhere between sixth and eleventh in the NFL Draft. Let's say that means the Titans pick eighth in the draft. For reference, NFL Draft expert James Foster says that the top seven players in this class are:
OSU WR Jeremiah Smith
Notre Dame CB Leonard Moore
South Carolina EDGE Dylan Stewart
LSU OT Jordan Seaton
Minnesota iOL Greg Johnson
Georgia CB Ellis Robinson
Texas EDGE Colin Simmons
Are there good players left on the board? Sure, but none of the players left are in the same tier as the truly elite talent at impact positions like Smith, Moore, Stewart, and Simmons.
Draft season is a long way away (hopefully), but these are the things that fans need to think about in these post-win moments. Maybe it is fair to say that this is a "win-win" scenario where the Titans either get an elite prospect, or win enough games to believe in the vision of this regime.
If fans were honest with themselves right now, it certainly seems like this fan base would take the wins that force them down the draft over securing an elite prospect, and it is hard to blame them after so much losing.
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