While the quarterback class in the 2022 NFL draft doesn’t appear to be as strong as in previous years, that doesn’t mean the Tennessee Titans aren’t keeping close tabs on a signal-caller.
According to Titans general manager Jon Robinson, the organization will be opportunistic in finding quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s successor.
“There’s (quarterbacks) in certain drafts that are way out of our reach because they’re going to go in the top three or four picks and we pick in the back part of the first round,” Robinson said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday. “We are trying to find those guys that may be within striking distance that may not come in and unseat, but that we see a future for.”
As Robinson notes, if the Titans were to take a quarterback in April’s draft, that player would not be expected to come in and play immediately with Tannehill set to return.
However, Tannehill is 33 years old and is under contract through the 2023 season with two void years at the tail end, which has the Titans at least considering making a move for the future at the position.
Robinson says there are good QBs in this class. Said #Titans will look at the situation regarding when or if it’s time to draft one.
— Terry McCormick (@terrymc13) March 2, 2022
Tannehill has come under tremendous scrutiny after his three-interception game in the team’s divisional-round loss against the Cincinnati Bengals.
And Titans head coach Mike Vrabel will be the first to say that his quarterback has to play better if the team wants to climb the mountain.
“Ryan has won too many games for us, has been a part of too many huge victories for us, has done too much for us,” Vrabel said. “Now we have to be better. That’s unacceptable, Ryan knows that — he’ll tell you that. You can’t make some of those mistakes. But he’s not the only one out there making mistakes.”
As far as what the Titans are looking for in an eventual successor to Tannehill, Vrabel listed traits such as mobility, accuracy, decision-making, the ability to take care of the football, toughness and leadership.
Vrabel on #Titans’ QB evaluation. pic.twitter.com/VZoh3ms4Zz
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) March 2, 2022
We previously discussed that trading or cutting Tannehill isn’t financially feasible, but that doesn’t mean Tennessee can’t prepare for life without the Texas A&M product.
Per ESPN’s Turron Davenport, the Titans have already met with Nevada’s Carson Strong and North Carolina’s Sam Howell at the combine. Tennessee also met with Strong at the Senior Bowl, and are scheduled to meet with Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder.
The Bearcats quarterback looks every bit of a first-round pick. Ridder was a four-year starter for Cincinnati and got better each season on campus. As a senior, he completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 3,334 yards and 30 touchdowns.
While a quarterback is certainly not an immediate need, selecting Ridder with the 26th overall pick — or any quarterback in the early to middle rounds — would immediately start the clock on Tannehill’s future in Tennessee.
