Last year after the draft, Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill answered questions about the club trading up to add Malik Willis in the third round. This year, he was asked to discuss the Titans trading up for Will Levis in the second round.
"We've been down this road before, so it's definitely a little bit of déjà vu," Tannehill said Wednesday. "(Coach) Mike (Vrabel) and (general manager) Ran (Carthon) make those decisions. My job is to go out and try to win football games."
While the Titans elected to draft offensive lineman Peter Skoronski No. 11 overall, when Levis slipped into Day 2 of the draft, Tennessee pounced on the chance to grab the big-armed quarterback.
"He adds to the room," Tannehill said of Levis. "Obviously, a talented guy coming off a great college career, so we'll see when I get to meet him here in a few weeks."
Tannehill's future has been in question all offseason as he enters the final year of his contract. The Titans conducted due diligence on all the quarterbacks in this year's draft, signaling a desire to find a long-term solution at the position that might not involve the 34-year-old.
"You can only control what you can control, right?" Tannehill said. "Mike and Ran make those decisions. As players, you've got to control what you can control, and that's doing the best you can, prepping yourself mentally and physically each and every day to go win a football game."
Last offseason, after Willis was drafted, Tannehill said he didn't think it was "my job to mentor" the rookie quarterback. On Wednesday, the veteran signal-caller was more measured in his response to Levis being drafted.
"My process doesn't really change," Tannehill said. "I like to believe that I'm giving my all every time I go out there and prep, whether it's in an OTAs or Week 15, getting ready to go win a game. You want to have a process about how you go about things, take your job seriously each and every day, knowing that nothing's given to you, and gotta go out there and earn everything. So that process doesn't change."
Last year, Tannehill missed five games due to injury, including the final three of the season, as the Titans watched their division title hopes slip away with a Week 18 loss to Jacksonville. The question this year is how long Tannehill will fend off the rookie from taking over under center.
