The Tennessee Titans have the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, holding the top selection in a draft class that isn’t viewed as particularly strong, especially at the quarterback position. It’s one of the reasons why NFL Draft rumors are already swirling about Tennessee trading down.
Tennessee started its offseason by hiring general manager Mike Borgonzi, bringing in the Kansas City Chiefs assistant general manager (2021-’24) who worked his way up the organization from administrator of college scouting (2009) to the second-highest position within one of the best NFL dynasties ever.
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One of Borgonzi’s many tasks this offseason will be finding a starting quarterback. Tennessee attempted to make it work with Will Levis, but the former second-round pick showed no signs of improvement in his second year. While Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are in consideration to be the first overall pick in 2025, Tennessee has already made it known that it’s willing to trade down.
It could be an opportunity for potential trade-up partners, like the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, to jump ahead of the Cleveland Browns with the second overall pick for Ward or Sanders. However, even with Tennessee shopping the pick, the Browns, Raiders and Giants might not have a chance at picking which quarterback they want.
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According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, the feeling around the NFL is that the Titans will decide to keep the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and take Ward as their next franchise quarterback.
The former Miami Hurricanes star is currently viewed as the top quarterback in the class by many evaluators around the league, but the gap is close enough for Sanders to overtake him during the pre-draft process.
It’s also possible that Tennessee wants people around the league, specifically quarterback-needy teams, to think it will take Ward first overall. Because this year’s quarterback crop isn’t as strong, the price of moving up for the No. 1 pick likely won’t be as high as other years. However, if another club truly believes the Titans could keep them from getting Ward, that could lead to a stronger return in a trade for Tennessee.
