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The Tennessee Titans‘ draft strategy underscores how close they believe they are to competing for a Super Bowl berth.

Convinced of their depth elsewhere Cheap Jaire Alexander Jersey , the Titans traded up to select defensive players they had long targeted and largely ignored their offense .

They ended up with just four draft picks – the fewest of any NFL team this year and the least in franchise history.

”Some of these names we drafted are guys we talked about in February,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said.

Vrabel was hired in January to improve a team that went 9-7 and lost to New England in the AFC divisional round after earning its first playoff victory since January 2004 .

”I think we are a more talented roster now, and it’s our job,” general manager Jon Robinson said . ”That’s our job, to try to get as many good football players on the team as possible and let them compete for spots.”

They didn’t take a single offensive player until drafting Pac-12 career passing leader Luke Falk of Washington State in the sixth round with the 199th overall pick.

The Titans’ defensive picks included Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans in the first round, Boston College outside linebacker Harold Landry in the second round and Arizona defensive back Dane Cruikshank in the fifth. The Titans traded up and gave up draft picks to get each of those three players.

That represents a huge change for a team that had taken an offensive player with its first pick every year from 2011-17.

Tennessee already had addressed its major offensive concerns in free agency with the additions of running back Dion Lewis , guard/tackle Kevin Pamphile and guard Xavier Su’a-Filo .

Evans and Landry boost the front seven, the Titans’ top draft priority with Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo entering the final years of their contracts and Avery Williamson having already left for the New York Jets as a free agent.

Cruikshank adds depth to the secondary for a defense that ranked 25th against the pass last season. The Titans already released veteran safety Da’Norris Searcy in March, leaving their depth thin behind All-Pro safety Kevin Byard fellow starter Johnathan Cyprien. Tennessee did sign cornerback Malcolm Butler away from New England in March.

Other things to know about the Titans’ draft:

LONG WAIT

Falk expected to get taken much earlier. The former walk-on set Pac-12 records in yards passing, total offense, touchdown passes, pass completions and pass attempts.

”I think just the word that came to mind would just be `shocked,”’ Falk said. ”It wasn’t exactly how I thought it would play out, but I’m very grateful. I’m grateful that a team in Tennessee took a chance on me and is giving me an opportunity to compete and go in there and help the football team.”

Falk’s two sisters are aspiring country singers who live in Nashville. Falk gives the Titans someone to groom as a possible backup to Marcus Mariota after signing veteran Blaine Gabbert in March.

MAGIC NUMBER

The 6-foot-4 Falk went to the Titans with the 199th overall pick. That’s the same pick New England used on Tom Brady back in 2000. Falk considers himself a big Brady fan.

”I just think that we kind of have the same similarities and style of play,” Falk said. ”We are not the most mobile guys. We do stuff in the pocket Joseph Noteboom Color Rush Jersey , creating throws in a small space. We are accurate. He’s the best to do it and somebody I look up to and just try to model my game after. It’s a huge coincidence that it is pick 199 and Tennessee took a shot on me.”

VERSATILE CRUIKSHANK

Although he spent much of his college career at cornerback, Cruikshank says he could play anywhere in the secondary and that NFL teams were primarily viewing him as a safety. The Titans are listing him merely as a defensive back for now and praised Cruikshank’s versatility .

”Whatever they need me to play, I’m willing to play,” Cruikshank said. ”I feel like I can do it all.”

PICKING FROM THE BEST

Cruikshank, who is 6-1 and 209 pounds, picked off three passes for Arizona last season. Two of his interceptions came against first-round draft picks Sam Darnold of Southern California and Josh Rosen of UCLA .

WHAT ABOUT RECEIVER?

The Titans didn’t draft a single wideout and will lean heavily on a batch of young receivers to complement Rishard Matthews, who is entering his seventh NFL season. Tennessee didn’t bring back Eric Decker and signed Michael Campanaro, who’s more of a special teams player with 31 combined receptions in four seasons.

That leaves Corey Davis, the fifth pick overall a year ago, along with Tajae Sharpe and Taywan Taylor. Sharpe spent last year on injured reserve, and Taylor is entering his second NFL season.

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AP Pro Football Writer Teresa M. Walker contributed to this report.

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Kyle Turris scored the only goal in the shootout to lift the Nashville Predators over the Minnesota Wild 2-1 Tuesday night to snap a three-game skid.

The win clinched the Predators home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. They also moved three points ahead of Tampa Bay in the chase for the Presidents’ Trophy and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.

Roman Josi scored for Nashville, and Pekka Rinne made 22 saves.

Rinne turned away Nino Niederreiter in the shootout. Zach Parise’s attempt went wide left, and Rinne stopped Mikko Koivu to clinch it.

Eric Staal tied it for Minnesota with 3:15 left on his 40th goal this season.

Devan Dubnyk made 28 saves as Minnesota snapped a five-game point streak. The Wild still won the season series against Nashville, 3-2.

JETS 5, BRUINS 4 Nate Solder Color Rush Jersey , SO

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) – Patrik Laine scored the deciding goal in the shootout, Brandon Tanev had his first career hat trick and Winnipeg beat Boston to cap a perfect six-game homestand.

Joe Morrow had his first goal for Winnipeg since being acquired from Montreal last month, and sixth of the season. Adam Lowry had two assists.

Ryan Donato, Danton Heinen, David Pastrnak and Torey Krug had goals for the Bruins, who scored three power-play goals. Krug added one assist and Brad Marchand had two.

Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves to pick up his 40th win for the Jets. It was also their seventh straight victory at home.

Anton Khudobin also stopped 28 shots as Boston ended a four-game road trip 2-0-2.

CANUCKS 4, DUCKS 1

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) – Brandon Sutter had two goals and an assist to lift Vancouver.

Alex Biega got his first goal in over three years, and Sam Gagner also scored for Vancouver, which has won three of four since losing seven straight. Jacob Markstrom stopped 23 shots.

Andrew Cogliano scored for the Ducks, who wrapped a four-game trip and are on a 5-1-1 stretch.

The loss dropped Anaheim into a tie with the Los Angeles Kings for third in the Pacific Division, though the Kings have a game in hand. The teams play Friday night.

BLUES 3, SHARKS 2, OT

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Vladimir Tarasenko scored his second goal of the game in overtime to lift St. Louis over San Jose.

Tarasenko got a pass from Vladimir Sobotka and tipped in the winner at 2:33. It was Tarasenko’s 31st goal Seahawks Cheap Jerseys , and he has 30 or more in four consecutive seasons.

St. Louis has won a season-best six straight games. San Jose had won eight straight.

Oskar Sundqvist also scored for St. Louis, and Jake Allen made 22 saves.

Evander Kane and Joe Pavelski scored for San Jose. Aaron Dell stopped 29 shots.

DEVILS 4, HURRICANES 3

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – Stefan Noesen scored on a rebound with 1:33 to play and New Jersey continued its playoff push.

Kyle Palmieri had two goals and an assist and Taylor Hall had three assists for the Devils, who have won three straight and six of eight. Pavel Zacha also scored and Keith Kinkaid, who has supplanted Cory Schneider as the No. 1 goaltender, made 31 saves.

New Jersey extended its lead to three points ahead of idle Florida for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, with the Panthers having played two fewer games. Carolina is nine points back.

Phil Di Giuseppe, Warren Foegele and Noah Hanifin also scored as the Hurricanes had a three-game winning streak snapped despite taking a 3-2 lead early in the third period. Scott Darling was outstanding making 41 saves, but Carolina’s slim playoff hopes faded a little more.

BLUE JACKETS 7, OILERS 3

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) – Thomas Vanek had three goals and an assist to lift Columbus over Edmonton.

Artemi Panarin, Boone Jenner, Cam Atkinson and Markus Nutivaara also scored for the Blue Jackets, who have won 11 of 12. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 22 shots.

Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists Ryan Switzer Color Rush Jersey , and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Drake Caggiula also scored for the Oilers, who have lost two straight. Cam Talbot stopped 13 of 18 shots before being replaced by Laurent Brossoit.

Edmonton got on the board 3:37 into the first period when a mix-up behind the net between Bobrovsky and Nutivaara allowed McDavid to steal the puck and send it out front to Nugent-Hopkins for his 22nd of the season. McDavid picked up his 100th point, tying his league-leading total from last year.

RED WINGS 5, PENGUINS 2

DETROIT (AP) – Luke Glendening scored twice, Darren Helm matched his career high with three points and Detroit beat Pittsburgh.

Helm had a goal and two assists, and Frans Nielsen and Niklas Kronwall also scored for Detroit. Jimmy Howard made 22 saves to help the Red Wings win in regulation for the first time since a 3-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 24.

Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang scored for the Penguins. Matt Murray stopped 21 shots.

STARS 3, FLYERS 2, OT

DALLAS (AP) – Alexander Radulov scored 40 seconds into overtime as Dallas beat Philadelphia to end an eight-game winless streak.

Tyler Seguin passed from the right side across to Radulov, who beat goalie Petr Mrazek.

The Stars were 0-6-2 during their longest stretch without a win since moving to Dallas in 1993. With five games left, the Stars are five points back for the final playoff berth.

Philadelphia extended its points streak to six games (3-0-3) and remained two points ahead of New Jersey for the Eastern Conference’s top wild card.

ISLANDERS 4, SENATORS 3

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) – Andrew Ladd scored the tiebreaking goal late in the third period to lift New York over Ottawa.

Anders Lee, Anthony Beauvillier and Brock Nelson also score.