Under a new regime, the Tennessee Titans are looking to make their mark in the 2026 NFL Draft, where entered with nine picks, including at No. 4 overall.
One of the more interesting trades that occurred for Tennessee was actually getting their pick back when sending out cornerback Roger McCreary to the Los Angeles Rams this past season.
That positioned them quite well in the fifth round, where they now have two of the top four picks in the round, thanks to the Jarvis Brownlee and McCreary trades.
With
the draft here, let’s revisit that trade and see what Tennessee got in return.
Original terms for the Roger McCreary trade between the Titans and Rams
- Los Angeles Rams receive: CB Roger McCreary, 2026 sixth-round pick (No. 207)
- Tennessee Titans receive: 2026 fifth-round pick (No. 144)
What did the Titans do with the pick from the Roger McCreary and Ernest Jones trades?
Well, in a series of trades, these two picks have now been swapped back and forth. Initially, the Titans gave up their fifth-round pick when trading for linebacker Ernest Jones back in 2024, receiving a sixth-round pick as well in return.
Then, needing cornerback depth midseason, Los Angeles sent Tennessee’s fifth-round pick back in exchange for Roger McCreary and a sixth-round pick.
Can you guess the sixth-rounder that Tennessee gave up in return? It was the Rams’ original sixth-round pick.
So, both teams ended up with their respective picks again across two separate deals.
The Titans used the 144th pick in the second round trade to move up and select Anthony Hill Jr.
How did the Titans fare in the Roger McCreary trade?
Well, being a selling team at the deadline last year, the Titans moved up over 60 spots in the draft for a cornerback on the final year of his contract that wasn’t a part of the future plans.
That’s pretty good business to me. Given that the Titans received their own fifth-round pick in return, they’re now sitting atop the fifth round with two of the first four picks. That gives them some leverage, be it to move up or to select a pair of players they like in that area.
While trading a starting-caliber linebacker like Jones stings with the initial trade, they fared well here with the jump up in dealing McCreary.
