National Football League

Titans seven-round mock draft: Tennessee trades up for Florida QB Anthony Richardson

Updated Apr. 4, 2023 4:57 p.m. ET

Trade up for a quarterback? Stay put for an offensive lineman or receiver? Trade back for more draft capital?

The Titans, who hold the 11th overall pick, are one of the most intriguing teams in the top half of the first round of this year's draft. And with a first-year general manager in Ran Carthon, there's an air of unpredictability with Tennessee.

The team currently has just six picks in the draft: Nos. 11, 41 (second round), 72 (third round), 147 (fifth round), 186 (sixth round) and 228 (seventh round).

Here's FOX Sports' seven-round mock draft for the Titans:

Round 1, No. 11 overall: TRADE!

The Titans jump to No. 3, making a deal with the Cardinals. Tennessee sends Nos. 11, a 2024 first-round pick, a 2025 first-rounder and a 2025 third-rounder to Arizona for the pick.

Round 1, No. 3 overall (via Arizona): Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

Six years after former Titans general manager Jon Robinson made a gutsy move in his first draft — dealing the No. 1 overall pick to the Rams for a massive package of draft picks — his successor makes a bold move in his first draft, taking a gamble that Richardson is Tennessee's quarterback of the future.

Carthon or coach Mike Vrabel or both were at all the major quarterback pro days — Ohio State for C.J. Stroud, Alabama for Bryce Young, Kentucky for Will Levis, Florida for Richardson. Ryan Tannehill, who turns 35 in July, is under contract for just one more season, meaning the Titans have long-term quarterback uncertainty.

With Tennessee's highest pick since 2017, it makes sense for the Titans to explore going after one of the blue-chip signal-callers in this draft, even at the expense of valuable draft capital.

The 6-foot-4, 244-pound Richardson is a tantalizing talent, a rare athlete at the quarterback position with outside linebacker size. He arguably has the most upside of any quarterback in this draft class. But he was just a one-year starter at Florida and completed just 53.8% of his passes for 17 touchdowns to nine interceptions in 2022. There are accuracy concerns.

In Tennessee, though, he would have a great veteran quarterback to learn behind in Tannehill, easing the transition process.

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Round 2, No. 41 overall: TRADE!

The Titans make their second trade of the draft, sending No. 41 to the Lions for Nos. 55 (second round) and 81 (third round).

Round 2, No. 55 overall (via Detroit): Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina

The Titans need an NFL-ready No. 2 receiver who can pair with Treylon Burks, and Downs on paper could be a good fit.

At 5-foot-9 and 171 pounds, he lacks the size Tennessee has typically sought at the position. But Downs has the kind of speed the team desperately needs — he ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine — coupled with a track record of proven production. Across his last two seasons at North Carolina, he caught 195 passes for 2,364 yards and 19 touchdowns. His 81% catch rate in 2022 led all FBS pass-catchers who saw at least 80 targets, according to Pro Football Focus.

A dynamic slot receiver, Downs should be able to complement Burks, who lined up from a wide alignment on 82.4% of his snaps last season, per Pro Football Focus. The former Tar Heels star also brings value on special teams, as he returned 26 punts for 289 yards for the Tar Heels.

Round 3, No. 72 overall: Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse

The 6-foot-5, 318-pound Bergeron is a versatile offensive tackle prospect who can challenge Titans right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and free-agent acquisition Andre Dillard, the front-runner to start at left tackle.

Bergeron made 39 starts for Syracuse at offensive tackle — 31 on the left side, eight on the right side. Some draft experts believe he could slide inside to guard, which would make him even more valuable to Tennessee, which doesn't have a clear starter at either guard spot.

Of ACC offensive tackles who played at least 553 snaps last season, Bergeron was the second-highest overall grade in the conference, per PFF. He allowed just 12 pressures on 392 pass-block snaps.

Round 3, No. 81 overall (via Detroit): TRADE!

Tennessee makes a draft trade for the third time, this time working out a deal with Carthon's former employer. The Titans deal the 81st pick to the 49ers for picks 99 (third round), 155 (fifth round) and a future fourth-rounder.

Round 3, No. 99 overall (via San Francisco): Jason Taylor II, S, Oklahoma State

The Titans don't have a No. 3 option at safety behind Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker, and with Byard also getting up there in age — he turns 30 in August — Tennessee needs to think long-term at the position.

The 6-foot, 204-pound Taylor is a versatile, physical defensive back who has playmaking upside. In 2022, his six interceptions tied for third in the FBS and his 80 solo tackles ranked fourth in the nation.

Taylor also played a key role on special teams at Oklahoma State — he blocked a 36-yard field-goal attempt to preserve a one-point win against Boise State in 2021 — and he tested well at the combine. Among safeties, he had the second-best vertical jump (43") and the third-best broad jump (10'9").

Round 5, No. 147 overall: Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan

After losing Austin Hooper in free agency, Tennessee must bolster its tight end depth behind expected starter Chig Okonkwo.

The 6-foot-5, 251-pound Schoonmaker is a proven blocker who also has pass-catching upside. He had a career-high 35 receptions for 418 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Of FBS tight ends who played at least 113 blocking snaps last season, Schoonmaker had the 20th highest overall blocking grade, including fourth-highest against the pass, according to Pro Football Focus.

Round 5, No. 155 (via San Francisco): DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Texas

With David Long Jr. gone and Azeez Al-Shaair signed for just one year in free agency, depth at inside linebacker could be a priority for the Titans.

The 6-foot-3, 229-pound Overshown is a rangy, athletic linebacker who has the versatility to find success in sub-package defenses. He played more than 100 snaps on both the defensive line and in the slot last season, according to Pro Football Focus.

At 6-foot-3 and 229 pounds, Overshown is a bit slender, but he could immediately have an impact on special teams.

Round 6, No. 186 overall: Jerome Carvin, G, Tennessee

With the Titans' uncertainty at guard, the 6-foot-5, 321-pound Carvin could be in the mix to start as a rookie. At the very least, his versatility and experience would make him valuable as a backup.

In five seasons with the Vols, Carvin made 60 appearances, including 43 starts — 21 at left guard, 17 at right guard and five at center. He allowed just two sacks over his last 26 games for Tennessee.

Vrabel has already gotten a good look at him, as the Titans coach was active in the offensive-line drills at Tennessee's Pro Day last week.

Round 7, No. 228 overall: Dante Stills, DT, West Virginia

The Titans' starting defensive line is stout, but they need more backup options. Outside of star Jeffery Simmons and Teair Tart, the reserve defensive linemen under contract — Naquan Jones, Tyler Shelvin, Curtis Brooks and Jayden Peevy — have a combined one start in the NFL.

Stills, listed at 6-foot-3 and 286 pounds, can move across the defensive line. His agility and quickness show up on tape. He tested great at the combine, ranking in the top three among defensive tackles in the 40-yard dash (4.85 seconds), broad jump (9'5"), three cone (7.38 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (4.61 seconds).

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

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