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3 Draft Picks the Tennessee Titans Gave up on Too Early

By Steven Kubitza

The Tennessee Titans moved on from TE Jared Cook far too early.
The Tennessee Titans moved on from TE Jared Cook far too early. / Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

The Tennessee Titans have been known by their current name since 1999 and made a Super Bowl in that same season. The team marched all the way to the AFC Championship Game this past season thanks to a roster filled with both homegrown and free-agent talent. One problem the Titans have had is letting some good draft picks leave town far too early. Fans are hoping Derrick Henry does not join such a list in the coming years.

3. Zach Brown

Zach Brown was a second-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2012.
Zach Brown was a second-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2012. / Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

The Titans drafted linebacker Zach Brown out of North Carolina in the second round of the 2012 draft. He spent four seasons with the team and had 10 sacks in 49 games. Yet he had his best career season in 2016 with the Buffalo Bills. Brown signed a one-year deal worth just over $1 million and proceeded to make the Pro Bowl and be named second-team All-Pro that season. The Titans would have been better off keeping him for cheap and taking advantage of that success.

2. Jack Conklin

The Tennessee Titans let Jack Conklin sign elsewhere this offseason.
The Tennessee Titans let Jack Conklin sign elsewhere this offseason. / Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Jack Conklin helped anchor the offensive line that led the Titans to this past year's AFC Championship Game. He was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2016 draft and the Titans made the surprising move to decline his fifth-year option following a 2018 season in which he dealt with several injuries. He went on to start all 16 games in 2019 and signed a three-year deal with the Cleveland Browns this offseason. Allowing a starting tackle and former No. 8 pick to walk after four years doesn't make much sense given his success thus far.

1. Jared Cook

Jared Cook spent four seasons with the Tennessee Titans.
Jared Cook spent four seasons with the Tennessee Titans. / Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The Titans drafted Jared Cook in the third round of the 2009 draft. The tight end spent four seasons with the team and his time in Tennessee ended after he requested to be franchise tagged as a wide receiver in 2013. The team moved on altogether, but could have worked out a long-term deal instead with the player who had 1,717 yards in four seasons. Cook has aged like fine wine and has made two consecutive Pro Bowls the past two seasons. He could have been a mainstay in Nashville.