The Tennessee Titans are a team in flux right now, and they need someone competent behind the steering wheel if they are going to get this thing back on course. GM Mike Borgonzi's work at the trade deadline proves that he is capable of navigating the difficulties ahead.
Look no further than the rest of the AFC South to see the moves that Borgonzi made compared to his peers in the division. He traded away Jeffery Simmons and Amani Hooker, and when the smoke cleared, this is what the Titans' draft picks look like over the next two years (the highlighted picks are top-100 selections):
2027 NFL Draft
1st round pick
1st round pick (Chicago Bears)
2nd round pick
2nd round pick (Buffalo Bills)
3rd round pick
4th round pick
4th round pick (Bears)
6th round pick
7th round pick
2028 NFL Draft
1st round pick
1st round pick (Bears)
2nd round pick
3rd round pick
4th round pick
6th round pick
7th round pick
That is impressive by itself, but compare that to what the rest of the division did (and by what he didn't do).
Titans GM Mike Borgonzi outsmarted his rivals at the NFL trade deadline
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Simmons trade set the tone for the defensive tackle market. Based on how many scathing reviews the Jaguars got when they traded a first-round pick and a second-round selection to the Philadelphia Eagles for Jordan Davis, it seems like the Jaguars are the ones who paid the price for that new premium.
That wasn't the only trade involving premium picks that the Jaguars made, though. They also sent a trade package including a second-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for safety Jessie Bates. That move might turn out to help the Jaguars, though it is awfully expensive for an aging safety on an expiring deal. The one thing it certainly did was elevate the safety market, which Borgonzi and the Titans benefited from when they traded Hooker to the Buffalo Bills for a second-rounder.
In short, the Simmons trade forced the Jaguars to overpay for Davis, and the Jaguars' expensive trade for Bates meant that they helped the Titans maximize their trade value for Hooker.
Indianapolis Colts
While the Jaguars were pushing all of their chips in for a title, the Colts are attempting to rebuild, just like the Titans are. Interim GM Ed Dodds can only make trades based on the offers he receives, but the Titans traded away two players and got back two first-round picks and a second-round pick, and the Colts traded away DeForest Buckner, Quenton Nelson, and Josh Downs but only ended up with one top-100 pick (a third-round pick for Nelson).
When you compare the two rebuilds, the Colts lost more All-Pro/Pro-Bowl talent than the Titans, with just a small percentage of the return that the Titans received. The Colts look like they tried to halfway rebuild by not trading away Jonathan Taylor to bring in more premium picks, and Borgonzi's results here dwarf anything the Colts received.
Houston Texans
The Texans didn't do much at the trade deadline, but they squandered a chance to get something for Jadeveon Clowney. They also gave up a second-round pick for Marvin Harrison Jr., who is averaging two receptions for 20 yards per game since the move. It won't do any immediate damage, but trading away a second-round pick for a player who is their fifth-best receiver is bad business.
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