What could have been: Tennessee Titans called Puka Nacua on draft day in 2023

USA Today

26-03-2025

What could have been: Tennessee Titans called Puka Nacua on draft day in 2023
This time of year is always good for some what-ifs when looking back at past drafts and thinking about what could have been if a different franchise took a player. Would their careers have been different? Would the team have been different? Has that impact carried over into this upcoming draft?
Most of the time it is a hypothetical situation. No one other than those in the room knows exactly how the draft board is stacked and truly which prospects the teams are interested in. Occasionally, though, a situation arises where players talk about conversations they had over draft weekend with organizations and it offers a real "what if" scenario.
This recently happened on the "Join the Lobby" podcast, where Pro Bowl receiver Puka Nacua sat down and mentioned a conversation with the Tennessee Titans on Day 3 of the draft.
'Saturday happens, which is the last day, and the Titans call me like first thing in the morning. I mean, I wake up and Titans,' he said. 'Titans say, we have a pick today. Be on the lookout and have your phone ready.'
Of course, that call never came, and he was eventually selected by the Los Angeles Rams. He went on to have a record-breaking rookie season.
At the time, the Titans had just signed DeAndre Hopkins, and Treylon Burks was still an unknown commodity, and the team appeared to be set at the receiver position. Plus, not many saw Nacua exploding onto the scene like he did with the Rams. So, passing on him in the fifth round for tight end Josh Whyle did make some sense.
So, what if the Titans selected him? While no one knows for sure whether he would have had the same success he did with the Rams, it is quite possible that the Titans would not have a hole at the wide receiver position heading into this draft.
With the draft a month away and the Titans holding the No. 1 pick, it is already a foregone conclusion that there will be plenty of options to play the what-if game with in the coming years.