Titans GM Ran Carthon answers the most important questions about first round pick JC Latham

The Tennessee Titans selected Alabama offensive tackle JC Latham with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night.

Latham is a former five-star recruit that started 27 games at right tackle over his final two seasons at Alabama. He is 6-foot-6, 342 pounds, and plays with exceptional strength. Latham's raw power and ability to anchor draws comparisons to Jawaan Taylor or Trent Brown.

Latham is undoubtedly a player that can fill a need for the Titans. But what need will that be? Is Latham a left tackle in the NFL after playing right tackle in college?

Titans GM Ran Carthon fielded those questions about Latham's future and why the Titans didn't trade down in his post-draft press conference.

Carthon told Titans media on Thursday night that Latham was going to start out at as a left tackle and would be given the opportunity to earn that job. 

"We're going to start him at left tackle. He played right tackle at Alabama, but I know he has practiced at left tackle and taken reps there, so it's not foreign to him," said Ran Carthon when asked where he saw Latham fitting in. 

"He sees himself as a left tackle. They all do, but the way it happened at Alabama, they were trying to get their best five and he was comfortable moving to the right side. He was a left tackle in high school," added head coach Brian Callahan. "I believe he possesses the requisite traits to do it and there's not going to be too many guys to turn down the chance to play on the left side."

The Titans seem confident that Latham will be able to make the smooth transition to the left side. They've been high on Latham throughout the entire pre-draft process, and offensive line coach Bill Callahan even conducted a two hour discussion with Latham while he was on a visit to Nashville.

Why didn't the Titans trade back to a QB-needy team? I think it's pretty simple. Latham was high on their board and was a target they weren't willing to risk losing. Carthon told the media that he took a "ton of calls" to move off of No. 7. He wasn't blown away by the offers.