Titans trade up, take Iowa safety Amani Hooker in 4th round
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have traded up in the fourth round to take Iowa safety Amani Hooker with the 116th pick in the draft.
Tennessee swapped fourth-round picks and fifth-round selections with the New York Jets, giving the Titans the opportunity to pick Hooker. The Titans got the No. 116 and No. 168 overall selections in the draft, while the Jets are now picking at No. 121 and No. 157.
The trade continued Titans general manager Jon Robinson’s penchant for moving up and down the draft board. The Titans have made 16 trades since Robinson took over as general manager in 2016, with many of the deals coming on draft weeks.
The 5-foot-11 Hooker was an Associated Press All-America second-team selection as a junior last fall. He collected 65 tackles and seven interceptions. Hooker said he split time between the safety and nickel spots at Iowa and could fill either role in the NFL.
Hooker gives the Titans some depth behind starting safeties Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro. The Titans also drafted safety Dane Cruikshank in the fifth round last year.
Earlier in the week, the Titans took Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in the first round, Mississippi wide receiver A.J. Brown in the second round and Charlotte offensive guard Nate Davis in the third round.
The Titans have a fifth-round pick (No. 168 overall) and a sixth-round selection (No. 188) later Saturday.