How three QB prospects are essential to the Tennessee Titans 2024 NFL Draft

The Tennessee Titans won't be looking to draft a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. Will Levis will be backed up by Mason Rudolph and Malik Willis this fall and Tennessee has plenty of other needs to address.

But even with the Titans unlikely to draft a quarterback, the QB prospects from the upcoming draft class are essential to the Titans' draft.

The fate of J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr., and Bo Nix - and the way teams evaluate all three - will have massive ramifications on the Titans.

Does McCarthy go Top 5?

There are two major questions at the top of the first round in this year's draft. Do the Commanders prefer Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels? And does someone trade into the Top 5 for J.J. McCarthy?

The latter of the two will really impact the players remaining on the board by the time the Titans are on the clock. 

If Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Marvin Harrison Jr. are all considered locks to be Top 5 picks, somebody trading in front of the Titans to take McCarthy would guarantee that Tennessee has a shot at either Joe Alt or Malik Nabers with No. 7. If Alt and Nabers are both off the board, Tennessee is stuck taking the OT2, WR3, or trading down. 

The most recent mock draft from Mel Kiper Jr. projects the Minnesota Vikings to move up in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers to take McCarthy at No. 5. In that scenario, Alt fell into the Titans lap with the seventh pick.

The more teams that want McCarthy, the better for the Titans. Even if he doesn't go Top 5, maybe someone like the Vikings would be interested in trading up with Tennessee. That could be a good opportunity for Ran Carthon to recuperate draft capital.  

Will someone trade up for QB5?

With four quarterbacks appearing to be first-round locks, it will be interesting to see which quarterback ends up being QB5 and when that move will be made.

On the consensus big board, former conference rivals Michael Penix Jr. (31st overall) and Bo Nix (32nd overall) are ranked right next to each other. Both figure to be early second-round picks if they're on the board after Day 1, and just like the Titans did for Will Levis in 2023, they could both be players that teams look to trade up for.

For Penix and Nix, I'd look at teams that have a placeholder quarterback on the roster, but could use a long-term solution. The Giants, Seahawks, Rams, Raiders, and Broncos all come to mind here as teams that fit and could be interested. 

This could be another scenario where Ran Carthon has a chance to move back and recuperate draft capital. Maybe the Titans slide back from 38 and pick up an additional day two selection in the process. That would help them address a few more of their needs without missing on the blue chip prospects that could be available with the seventh overall pick,

I'd certainly like a trade down in the second round more than I would in the first round. But in order for that to happen, teams have to be willing to gamble on either Nix or Penix. Just like McCarthy, the more interest these two have, the better. 

It's remarkable how three quarterback prospects who won't play in a Titans uniform in 2024 still have such a large impact on Tennessee's draft class.