NFL
Titans Unlikely to Chase Jeremiyah Love at No. 4 Despite Growing Draft Hype
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Texas A&M v Notre Dame by Michael Reaves | Getty Images
It’s become fashionable to link the Tennessee Titans with Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at the fourth overall pick in the draft, and we suspect it becomes an even bigger point of discussion during draft week.
We’re also not buying it.
Not because the player is not worthy of such a discussion, not because the Titans don’t need a running back, and not because second-year quarterback Cam Ward wouldn’t gain from a better run attack.
But there are other dynamics at play that have the execs and general managers SportsBoom have asked about this subject to posit that the Titans will be grabbing whomever they deem to be the best defensive player remaining on their draft board with this selection and looking at skill positions on day two.
New head coach Robert Saleh is a longtime defensive coordinator, he ran a 49ers defense a year ago devoid of any individual pass-rush talent and that side of the ball needs major help.
Oh, and for a franchise under suspect ownership that has features persistent power struggles between the coaching staff and football operations staff, there is little doubt right now that Saleh’s voice resonates deepest as the Titans try to complete what’s become a lengthy rebuild.
The Past Is A Guide To The Present
“They’re going defense,” said one longtime NFL personnel executive.
“I love the running back, but Saleh isn’t taking a running back there. If you study how this plays out, with a new head coach, that first pick is almost always on his side of the ball. There’s going to be a run on defensive players after (presumptive first-overall pick, quarterback Fernando) Mendoza, and he’s going to be in it.”
One general manager agreed: “I’d be really surprised if they went running back.”
The GM said if Love ends up going with the fourth selection, he believes it will be because the Titans opted to trade down.
And some believe the Giants, with pick five, would be quite tempted to select Love with their pick (not sure I see it, myself), which could help motivate a club to leapfrog them to grab the running back.
There is absolutely the potential for multiple trades in the top 10 selections. And given all of their needs, the Titans should seriously consider being among those two do drop back a few slots, if not more.
La Canfora has covered over 20 Super Bowls and League Meetings and NFL drafts, building a wide network of sources throughout all aspects of the game. He was an award winning print journalist as well, working at The Detroit Free Press and The Baltimore Sun prior to his first stint at The Washington Post. He has covered sporting events around the world, including two Winter Olympics and all of the 2006 World Cup. He attended his first NFL game in 1978, and would soon kindle what has become a lifelong love and appreciation of the sport. La Canfora is also a professional handicapper, specializing in the NFL, creating a daily sports wagering game show - "Wanna Bet?" He also hosts nationally broadcast NFL radio shows in the US, as well as a daily sports radio show in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.