The Buffalo Bills strengthened their secondary Tuesday by trading for Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker, and the deal hands the rebuilding Titans more draft capital, Touchdown Wire reported in a story published by Yahoo Sports.
The Titans sent Hooker and a fifth-round pick to Buffalo for a second-round pick. Touchdown Wire noted the Titans have now collected two first-round picks and a second-round pick from their two big defensive trades this fall, giving them the draft capital to add the players they need to get competitive again. Tennessee had already traded All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears.
According to the Titans, the team now holds two first-round picks and two second-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Buffalo's pass defense has been up and down. Touchdown Wire said the Bills gave up more than 300 passing yards against the Los Angeles Rams and the Las Vegas Raiders but held the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings under 130. Buffalo also needed help after releasing C.J. Gardner-Johnson following his spitting suspension; Touchdown Wire said he had not been playing well before the suspension either.
Hooker leads the NFL with five interceptions, three of them in his last game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Titans' official announcement highlighted Hooker's place in team history. His 17 career interceptions are the fifth-most in the franchise's Titans era, which began in 1999. Only Kevin Byard with 27, Michael Griffin with 25, Samari Rolle with 23 and Keith Bulluck with 19 have more.
For Tennessee, the trade is another step in a rebuild around second-year quarterback Cam Ward under first-year coach Robert Saleh. The Titans are 1-7.
The Titans return to action Sunday at Nissan Stadium against the Jacksonville Jaguars, their first game since the bye week.
Sources: Touchdown Wire via Yahoo Sports; Tennessee Titans