Nearly six weeks remain until the draft, but the Titans will be the team that shapes it. While connected to heavy trade-down rumors weeks ago, Tennessee may not be as eager to do so coming out of free agency’s first wave.
The Titans let Mason Rudolph walk and have not added true competition for Will Levis; Brandon Allen profiles more as a pure backup. Rather than competition, a true replacement could be coming in the draft. Momentum about a Titans trade-down move has stalled, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said (during a recent Dan Patrick Show appearance) teams are now expecting them to stay put and draft Cam Ward at No. 1 overall.
Ward’s Titans interviews have gone well thus far, per Fowler, who labels the team “pretty comfortable” with the well-traveled QB prospect. Moving from Incarnate Word to Washington State to Miami, Ward has gained steam during the pre-draft process. He is viewed as having separated from Shedeur Sanders, with the question at QB being who will be the second one chosen.
Before free agency, Ward supporters existed in Tennessee’s building. Considering how poorly Levis’ second season went, it always loomed as a significant risk for the Titans to pass on using a No. 1 pick on a replacement. Ward has not been viewed on the level as Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter as a pure prospect, which also runs the risk of the Titans choosing the wrong year to make their QB investment. While the Titans would miss out on adding a potential impact starter by passing on their choice of those two, another year of Levis does not seem in the cards for the AFC South team.
Talk of Tennessee wanting to transition away from Levis has emerged, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson adds. After trading up to No. 33 for Levis in 2023, the Titans sat Ryan Tannehill for the Kentucky prospect midseason. Levis showed some early promise, but turnovers plagued him during a sophomore setback. Levis’ 27.8 QBR was nearly 11 points worse than the next-closest regular last season, sinking the benched QB’s value during an offseason that brought more front office change.
The GM that drafted Levis (Ran Carthon) is out after just two years, and although Chad Brinker was onboard as assistant GM when the Titans made that trade-up, the new team president obviously is not as closely tied to the passer. New GM Mike Borgonzi will also run this draft for Tennessee, which is attempting to find stability after a turbulent few years.
While trade-up calls have emerged, the quarterback market not yet crystalizing — thanks largely to Aaron Rodgers‘ delay — figures to stall at least one team. The Giants were linked to Ward early and have been mentioned as targeting the top pick, but Fowler points to that being a less likely move now that the Titans appear closer to staying put and taking the QB at 1.
Daniel Jeremiah’s third NFL.com mock draft for this year pegs Ward to the Titans at 1, while Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest offering does as well. Ward will follow Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix in seeing a transfer ignite his draft stock. He has already met with the Titans at the Combine and on a “30” visit. It will be unlikely if Tennessee’s decision this year will be as anticlimactic as Chicago’s Caleb Williams call in 2024 was, but rumors are circulating early about Ward being Tennessee’s next QB solution.
Hope Titans gets this right
Taking Ward over some gamechangers seems like a mistake
I honestly believe they should trade down to number 3 giants pick, then trade down to number 6 to 10, get all the draft capital they can, get some much needed talent, next year take some draft capital and get a stud QB
Someone would have to be willing to trade up
I just think getting a pass rusher like Carter can help the entire D out dramatically
It’s not like this teams only hole is QB, seems like they need help everywhere
If it were me, it’d be between Carter and Hunter at 1
I have Ward projected as an OK QB but not a generational or elite QB by any means.
Can draft Dart/Milroe/Ewers in R2
yes drop down and get Carter (elite DE) at #3 not sure if Carter is still there, but yes take Carter or Hunter at #3 or trade back again if someone offers a multi pick deal. So many holes to fix as we both mentioned.
I guess I am hopeful Titans can get a Manning (texas Longhorns) for QB next year…..
Why not just take them at 1 ?
Taking an elite pass rusher 1st overall wouldn’t be the first time in history.
And the league may have never seen anyone like Justin Hunter before.
Taking a middle of the road QB just seems like a wasted opportunity
“Why not just take them at 1 ?”
I agree but if they can squeeze some draft picks out of the Giants or some other team, they should. If it’s the Giants, at least one of Carter or Hunter would be there at #3 because the Giants would be trading up for Ward.
I would think the Giants are in that category (for trading up). There options are to wait for the Aaron Rogers ego tour to conclude or take the third best option at QB in the draft. If Titans stick at one and take Ward, Daboll may as well pack his bags now as that team is going to stink it up in 2025.
At this point the only team I see willing to trade up is the NY Giants.
and possibly the Browns if they want Cam Ward??
Definitely possible for Browns
May actually be why Titans are pretending to be fully committed to Ward
Ward makes way more sense for Browns (desperate for an average QB) compared to Titans (have an empty slate to build something legit over the next 2-3 years)
Not at the Titans price for doing so….
Yes. The 1 position is trade. Mass picks. 1 guy ain’t changing that franchise. lol
I think Levis is traded draft night(s) to a team like Cardinals or Browns and Titans take 2 QBs and maybe a Flacco or Lock
First overall Ward
Maybe day 3 a guy like Shough
TRADE BACK TWICE!!!!!
yes, view above, load up with picks (talent)
Do the right thing Titans! Cam IS A GAME CHANGER! #TITANUP!
When you don’t have a QB of the future you need to keep drafting one until you find him. Odds are Ward will not become a Pro Bowl level QB, but the Titans have to try. Same with the Browns and Shedeur Sanders.
Agree on QB strategy, except I believe a 1st overall pick should be (or at least feel like) a bona fide lock — on the field, off the field, and regardless of position.
The idea (outside of Cleveland) is that you’re not picking at that spot (ever) again. And missing on early-1st rounders tends to set the organization back as a whole.
You can draft QB prospects until you’re blue in the face but if the OL can’t provide protection (Titans ranked 25th last season) the result will be a continuous cycle of disappointment. The light bulb finally went on for the Bears this offseason and they concluded that an OL overhaul was necessary. Too bad they didn’t think of that before drafting Williams. It’s almost comical that so many teams keep repeating this same mistake.
Crossey, the Titans have gone O-Line round 1 in back2back seasons
OL usually reach their potential in year 3
Biggest issue is they haven’t addressed the pass rush in years , and everyone they drafted in 2022 was worthless
The Titans drafted a left tackle last year and a guard the year before that. Levis just sucks. He was a turnover machine and cost them multiple games. Million dollar arm, ten cent brain.
Sure do that if you want a team full of QB busts and secondary choices at every other position.
Passing up on a generational talent to draft a QB you aren’t even sure about is beyond dumb.
I actually think it’s way better to build a beasty team up and then draft a QB into a good environment
The same teams keep having busts at QB because they give them a losing team to work with.
Then you see what guys like Darnold and Baker can do with a real team around them..
This is a perfect philosophy. Build a team then have choices at qb. Instead draft a qb and doom him with no weapons. lol. Classic tale. The ones that get success inherit a good team. No exceptions. Ever
They have Ridley, signed Pollard last year, along with drafted RBs before they signed him. They’ve also drafted to solidify their line. Now, that Moore FA contract was one of the head scratchers of early signing, but their roster isn’t terrible. Levis was a significant hole last year. If they grade Ward out that they can work with him, they should take him. Both Miles Garret and Calvin Johnson were on 0-16 teams, and they’re both Hall of Famers. Until you get a QB, you’re stuck in this league. This is how the league is built and has been for the last 30 or so years.
There are 10 qbs every year that could ship. Just poor management. Rookies don’t go to ships. They don’t win. No matter how good. The only thing that matters is timing and management. Qb are not rare. Using them and growing them correctly is way too rare. Titans have proved they can’t handle a rookie qb correctly. Solution. Trade down as many times. Build up 2-3 years and do what you are good at. First round qb early ain’t it. lol. There is no magic if you proved you don’t have magic. Browns tale. You can burn anything until you over pay on FA. lol
Well…without really stopping to think about it, how about Peyton Manning and Joe Burrow? Bad teams turned around by the QB.
You don’t even have to leave the division. How about CJ Stroud. Houston was a train wreck until he showed up. Similarly, everyone said he and Young weren’t worth trading up for. If their scouts grade him out that they can teach him to win games in the NFL, they should take him. Waiting to draft the next Andrew Luck prospect is some fantasy world stuff, and even with him, look how that worked out for the Colts after tanking for him. They got five decent years out of him and are still looking for his replacement.
If they take him, keep him on the bench for awhile. Let these rookie QBs get some more time practicing against NFL players, learning technique and systems before throwing them out on the field week 1. There’s been some terrible QB play because of this.
Gonna be hilarious when Will Levis is actually pretty good on a better team
He going to stop randomly dropping the ball and throwing dumb picks?
Did Justin Fields just get 20 mil AAV ?
Pretty similar player in the mental mistakes category , except Levis has a cannon and way higher upside as a pocket QB
Not even close. Even with as limited as Fields is as a passer, he didn’t throw his team out of games. That happened several times last year with Levis to the point Callahan was caught asking him wtf coming off the field. Fact is that after that 4 TD debut, it was all bad for Levis after that, and that’s with a sunsetting still capable Hopkins, signing Ridley on a big contract, and bringing in Pollard to take reps after he had Henry the tail end of his rookie year. Some of these dudes just can’t play, and it’s very apparent he cant. Reminds me of that Mettenberger dude that Titan fans tried to hype up because he had some decent physical traits. Like if your baseline is what about Justin Fields, you’re down bad as a fan.
They’re really similar statistically, except Levis has a way higher ceiling
He’s been in college four years. No one needs to sit anymore, and even then, sit for who? Levis?
They need a new owner
The Titans could try trading back to round 7 in the hope that some other team might give up their pick for Amy.
Good to see they still are clueless. He will another failure. Sad.
All just pre-draft subterfuge.
Grab Hunter, not Ward. Sign Flacco or even Winston for year or two and grab a QB next year.
This would be the dumbest thing they could do!! Cam isn’t a starting QB period!!!
This is just to drum up trade talk for the #1 pick.