The Tennessee Titans are sitting in the perfect spot to do whatever they want in the 2026 NFL Draft. They should also have trade offers if they want to move back, but they are also in a spot where a high-caliber prospect is guaranteed to fall into their lap.
This is great news for the franchise, but it has also led fans and analysts to debate which prospect has more value. Most think that a B-plus prospect at a premium position is more valuable than an "A" prospect at a non-premium position, and this side of the argument has two strong points.
First, the league has demonstrated with its own spending how much they devalue non-premium positions. Not only are these positions usually dependent on the premium position players around them, but there have been more proven examples of "hits" coming from Day 2 or 3 in the NFL Draft.
Second, great players at premium positions are a scarce commodity that always demands an overpay on the open market, if those players even hit the open market, which is rare. This chart (and the commentary) proves that very well.
NFL Draft: Tennessee Titans must answer premium position questions at No. 4 overall
Cool concept from Jason looking at the top 20 contracts by position and whether those players were drafted by that team or signed as a free agent.
— Brian Nemhauser (@hawkblogger) April 17, 2026
This absolutely factors into front office draft priorities. Of course, there are always exceptions. https://t.co/vpUbsmFMt4 pic.twitter.com/CDN80iBmbF
Exceptional job there showing that the league has proven that you can find great players at those non-premium positions on the open market, but it is rare that you get a great player at a premium position without drafting or trading for them.
However, that all implies something that we accept as fact, and that is that you need one of these rare players at all of or most of these premium positions to succeed. Titans fans are surely familiar with Superhorn, and he presents a good argument saying that might not be the case.
Great analysis, but speaks to a major problem with draft evaluation. I think most people are asking the wrong question.
— Superhorn (@Super_Horn) April 17, 2026
Too much weight is given to player scarcity, and not enough to player utility (ability to add wins). https://t.co/NFiW1b1vqZ
This is the debate that Titans fans find themselves in right now. Jeremiyah Love, Sonny Styles, and Caleb Downs are all great prospects who could develop into terrific NFL players, but history has shown that those positions rarely make an actual impact in the win column for the team that drafts them, with off-ball linebackers being especially bad investments.
Then again, a team like the Los Angeles Chargers is a great example of a team with a lot of those boxes checked at premium positions, but nothing to show for it because having those doesn't always correlate with winning more games.
Anecdotally, it certainly seems like teams with the most talent at premium positions win more games (duh). However, there is also a strong argument that teams that don't beat themselves and don't have obvious holes on their roster win a lot of games as well.
Ultimately, team-building is complex, and there isn't a guaranteed right answer. The Seattle Seahawks just won a Super Bowl without an elite quarterback or EDGE, and they did it with a running back winning Super Bowl 60 MVP. That shouldn't be viewed as a guaranteed blueprint for how to win a ring, just like teams shouldn't look at the Eli Manning New York Giants or the Nick Foles Philadelphia Eagles as reasons not to try to acquire an elite quarterback.
However, everyone should acknowledge that a team needs a GM and coaching staff with a unified vision, and they need to work together to build and develop a roster with a clear identity and attitude. That cohesion and buy-in wins championships, but only once a roster is filled with enough talent to do so.
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