Tennessee Titans News & Rumors

George Fant Considering Titans, Ravens

April 9th, 2025 at 10:16am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Veteran offensive tackle George Fant worked out for the Ravens on Monday and will also visit the Titans, per Joe Person and Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.

Fant was released by the Seahawks in early March after multiple stints on injured reserve limited him to just two appearances in 2024. He earned the Seahawks’ starting right tackle job out of training camp, but played just 13 snaps in Week 1 before exiting the game with a knee injury. Fant returned from IR to start in Week 9, but only lasted 17 snaps before going down once more, this time for the rest of the season.

Despite a strong market for offensive tackles this offseason, the 32-year-old received little interest in the first few waves in free agency. Now that teams have their starting tackles secured, Fant has been contacted by multiple teams as a veteran swing tackle with experience on both sides of the offensive line. The former Texans and Jets starter has honed in on the Ravens and the Titans as his best fits.

“There’s a couple other teams that I’ve been talking to,” said Fant (via Zrebiec). “But those two are really intriguing to me. Obviously, Baltimore being a contender and Nashville being where I live at. So I’m definitely interested.”

Fant was born and raised in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which is an hour away from the Titans’ home in Nashville, Tennessee. He stayed in Bowling Green to play basketball at Western Kentucky University before switching to football in his fifth year and launching his NFL career.

The Titans signed Dan Moore to start at left tackle, which will allow 2024 first-rounder JC Latham to return to right tackle where he played throughout his college career at Alabama. The Titans have some young tackle depth, but Fant would bring some much-needed experience to the position who could back up both sides in 2025.

The Ravens are returning Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten as their starting tackles in 2025, but they badly need to add depth. Longtime swing tackle Patrick Mekari started at guard in 2024 before signing with the Jaguars in free agency, and the team converted another tackle, Daniel Faalele, to guard last year as well. Fant doesn’t have any direct connections with the Ravens’ coaching staff, but he did play under ex-defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald in Seattle.

2025 NFL Draft Visits: Schwesinger, Cowboys, Nolen, Ezeiruaku, Burden, Turner, Bond, Steelers, Emmanwori

April 6th, 2025 at 10:14pm CST by Ely Allen

This isn’t exactly a visit in the sense of top-30 visits, like most of the rest of bullets that follow this will be, but UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger held a private pro day earlier this week in Los Angeles and had 30 teams in attendance, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

While, obviously, not a comprehensive list, Schefter specifically mentions the Cowboys, Giants, Saints, Chargers, and Broncos, and notes that the linebackers coaches from Dallas, New York, and New Orleans all met privately with Schwesinger.

Schwesinger is not currently the top-ranked linebacker prospect in most analysts’ eyes, but he often slides in as the second-best off-ball linebacker in the class behind Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell — third if you count Georgia defender Jalon Walker, who has the ability to play every linebacker spot at the next level. Some thought Schwesinger may sneak into the back end of the first round at the end of the month, but more likely is that he hears his name on Day 2. Per Tony Pauline of sportskeeda, it would be surprising to see him fall past the first half of the second round.

Here are some more prospect-NFL team connections we’ve seen recent reports on:

The Cowboys have certainly been very busy in the runup to the 2025 NFL Draft. On Friday, the team held their invite-only “Dallas Day,” hosting draft prospects without the visits counting towards their top-30 visits. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton met with the team at “Dallas Day.” The well-balanced rusher continues to skyrocket up draft boards, is likely to join Ashton Jeanty in the first round, and has several other visits lined up.
Jeanty was also in attendance on Friday, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. We had relayed that Jeanty would be taking a top-30 visit with the Cowboys, but it’s unclear whether this is what was meant in that original report. Also in attendance for “Dallas Day” were Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner, Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon, TCU wide receivers Savion Williams and Jack Bech, Texas quarterback and offensive lineman Quinn Ewers and Cameron Williams, and Miami tight end and running back Elijah Arroyo and Damien Martinez.
Also in attendance at “Dallas Day” was Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Nolen will follow up his Dallas visit with a visit with the Panthers on Monday and a visit with the Bengals some other time this week.
Joining Nolen in Carolina on Monday will be Boston College pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, per Joe Person of The Athletic. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year has been a hot topic with multiple scouts of late, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid. He’s currently viewed as an early-Day 2 prospect, and his stock continues to rise.
Speaking of another “Dallas Day” athlete, Wilson of KPRC 2 provided an updated list of teams that Turner, from Texas A&M, is set to visit with. We already noted his recent visit in New Orleans, but Wilson tells us that Turner has also visited the Texans and plans to visit the Ravens, Rams, Eagles, Dolphins, Colts, Buccaneers, and Cardinals.
According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, the Broncos hosted Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden for a top-30 visit last week. The talented wideout fell off in 2024 after an incredible sophomore campaign with the Tigers, but his high ceiling makes him a borderline first-round prospect. Denver would love to bring in another talented weapon for young quarterback Bo Nix.
We already reported recent visits for Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond in Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, and Los Angeles, but we now have a couple sources adding some new locations for the Longhorn. Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us that Bond had dinner with the Bills before a private workout Friday and a top-30 visit as well as visits with the Browns and Packers. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds that Bond has visits scheduled with the Chiefs and Titans, as well.
Brooke Pryor of ESPN tells us that the Steelers hosted a full house on Thursday. Prospects on hand last week included Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, Florida State cornerback Azareye’h Thomas, Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, and Pittsburgh tight end Gavin Bartholomew.
Lastly, Pryor adds that Pittsburgh was one of the recent teams to host South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori. The pre-draft standout had reportedly lined up visits with Atlanta, Carolina, Seattle, Cincinnati, and Miami already. The Steelers’ interest in the Gamecock is no surprise as he’s trending towards being a Day 1 selection at this point.

Titans Cancel Travis Hunter Workout

April 5th, 2025 at 5:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

It was learned earlier today the Titans will not conduct a private workout with quarterback Shedeur Sanders. One had been on the books, with the same being true of his Colorado teammate Travis Hunter.

Now, though, Tennessee will also pass on a Hunter workout. The Ringer’s Todd McShay notes no workout with the Heisman winner will take place. That represents another sign Miami quarterback Cam Ward will hear his name called first overall when the draft kicks off later this month. In addition, it obviously brings about further intrigue about where Hunter will wind up.

The Titans had already narrowed down their list of options for the top pick to the prospects frequently linked to the top of the board. Ward, Hunter, Sanders and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter were recently named by head coach Brian Callahan as those receiving consideration. One or more members of the Colorado pair could still be in play, of course, and the same applies to Carter. Barring a trade down – something which some in the building support – though, Ward can be expected to operate as Tennessee’s next starting signal-caller.

As for Hunter, McShay echoes previous reporting which points to the Browns leaning in that direction. Cleveland owns the second overall pick, and taking Hunter would likely allow the team to make a notable addition at the receiver position. The Browns are believed to see the two-way standout primarily as an offensive player, and in general the sentiment around the league seems to have shifted that way (after previously being pointed toward Hunter playing mainly as a cornerback).

The Browns entered the offseason in need of a starting quarterback with Deshaun Watson likely to miss a portion of the 2025 season (if not the entire campaign). The team swung a deal for former first-rounder Kenny Pickett, but more additions could be coming. Cleveland has frequently been linked to a Kirk Cousins acquisition. It remains to be seen if the Falcons will be prepared to trade him, however, and if a team will be willing to absorb most of his scheduled 2025 compensation in the process.

Selecting Hunter could ultimately result in Pickett – whose brief run as the Steelers’ starter did not go as planned – handling QB1 duties in Cleveland, or the team could add a rookie later in the draft. Either way, the Browns are the team worth watching the closest with respect to his stock at this point as the Titans further signal their intentions at the top of the board.

Shedeur Sanders To Work Out With Browns; Titans Visit Canceled

April 5th, 2025 at 1:34pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

APRIL 5: In the wake of Colorado’s pro day, Titans officials met with Sanders and his camp. A decision was made to cancel his Tennessee workout, as noted by team reporter Jim Wyatt. Ward remains the favorite to go No. 1 in the draft, and this development certainly represents another indication that will be the case.

MARCH 27: Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders will privately work out for the Titans and the Browns, who hold the first and second overall picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. The workouts are scheduled for the days following Colorado’s April 4 pro day, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Sanders has already spent time with both teams; he interviewed with the Titans at the East-West Shrine Bowl in January and went to Cleveland on a top-30 visit at the beginning of March.

At the moment, Sanders is not the expected pick for either team. The Titans are working out Miami quarterback Cam Ward for a second time on Friday, and the Browns are “leaning towards” Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter at No. 2.

But with the draft still a month away, nothing is set in stone. Last month, the Titans were expected to trade the first pick and the Browns were trying to fend off Myles Garrett trade suitors. Now, Tennessee appears to view Ward as its quarterback of the future, and Cleveland signed Garrett to a massive extension.

Garrett’s trade request partially stemmed from the Browns’ lack of direction at quarterback. While his $40MM APY seems like enough motivation on its own, he insisted the extension wasn’t only about money. Garrett also said on a podcast (via the Browns’ social media) that he has an idea of who the Browns will start at quarterback in 2025 and likes it enough to stay in Cleveland.

However, the Browns’ only quarterback addition this offseason was Kenny Pickett. Dorian Thompson-Robinson was sent to the Eagles as part of the deal to acquire Pickett, and both Jameis Winston and Bailey Zappe signed with other teams in free agency. The Browns also missed out on Russell Wilson, leaving 2024 backups like Joe Flacco and Carson Wentz as Cleveland’s remaining options.

That quarterback room doesn’t inspire much confidence, indicating the Browns still have another plan to address the position. That could involve drafting Sanders (or another rookie QB), or a post-draft trade for Kirk Cousins.

Julio Jones Announces Retirement

April 4th, 2025 at 10:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Julio Jones bounced around the NFL during the 2020s, but the former Falcons first-rounder authored one of the most productive careers in the history of the wide receiver position. After not playing in 2024, Jones is retiring.

The 13-year veteran confirmed his NFL exit Friday via social media. Rivaling Hall of Fame defensive end Claude Humphrey and perhaps Matt Ryan as the greatest players in Falcons history, Jones retires after earning All-Decade honors for the 2010s. His prolific stretch from 2014-19 remains unmatched at the position in terms of receiving yardage.

A five-time All-Pro with two first-team honors (2015, 2016), Jones rivaled Antonio Brown as the top receiver of the 2010s. From 2014-19, the all-around great accumulated 9,388 receiving yards. That is the most during a six-season stretch in NFL history. While hamstring injuries slowed Jones in the early 2020s, he finished his career with 914 receptions for 13,703 yards and 66 touchdowns. Jones’ yardage total ranks 16th in NFL annals.

It took a blockbuster trade package for the Falcons to obtain Jones in the first place. Then-Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff sent Nos. 26, 59 and 124, along with 2012 first- and fourth-rounders, to Cleveland for No. 6. The Browns did not make out well in that trade, but the Falcons gave Roddy White a wingman who eventually became their aerial ace. Jones played a lead role for a Falcons team that booked the NFC’s No. 1 seed in 2012 and was even better two years later, when the franchise assembled one of the greatest offenses in NFL history.

Kyle Shanahan‘s second season as OC produced 33.8 points per game; that remains tied for eighth in the Super Bowl era. After a career-best 1,871 yards in 2015, Jones posted 1,409 in just 14 games to rocket the ’16 Falcons to the NFC’s No. 2 seed. Along with MVP Ryan, Jones powered that squad to Super Bowl LI with a 180-yard, two-TD showing in an NFC championship game romp over the Packers. Jones added 87 yards in the Super Bowl, including a marvelous sideline reception, but that game is obviously better known for the Falcons’ 25-point collapse.

During Atlanta’s dominant 2016 offensive run, the 6-foot-3 dynamo delivered a 300-yard receiving game against the Panthers. This came two years after he scorched a playoff-bound Packers team for 259. He added a 253-yard outing against the Buccaneers in 2017.

Jones again led the NFL in receiving in 2018, with 1,677 yards, and reset the market at his position just before the ’19 season. Lengthy extension talks produced a three-year, $66MM deal (which came with $64MM guaranteed), making Jones the first $20MM-AAV receiver. He was unable to play out that contract — his second lucrative re-up — after suffering hamstring injuries in 2020 and ’21. The Falcons traded Jones to the Titans for a second-round pick in 2021, soon seeing Calvin Ridley leave the team due to mental health reasons, and dealt Ryan a year later. Jones contributed to Tennessee’s No. 1 seed that year but only totaled 434 yards in 10 games. The Titans designated him a post-June 1 cut in 2022.

Venturing to Tampa in 2022 and Philly in ’23, Jones was unable to show much of his pre-injuries form. He combined for just 373 yards over his final two seasons, and no team signed him last year. That said, Jones will earn Canton induction; by not playing in 2024, he will be eligible for the 2029 class.

Over the course of his career, the Alabama alum earned $147.3MM. Much of this came on his first extension, a five-year, $71.25MM deal agreed to just before the 2015 season. The Falcons employed a White-Jones-Tony Gonzalez aerial armada from 2011-13, but Jones was alone as the team’s receiving anchor by 2016. White’s 63 receiving TDs still rank first in franchise history, but Jones surpassed his former mentor in receptions and yardage with Atlanta.

QB Draft Rumors: Titans, Saints, Manning

April 4th, 2025 at 10:13pm CST by Ely Allen

As the 2025 NFL Draft continues to draw nearer and nearer, we continue to see momentum towards the Titans selecting Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick. While the team’s president of football operations, Chad Brinker, spoke recently about the time the team has spent evaluating top options like Ward, Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, he also spoke about a patient, disciplined approach that could entail trading back.

“We are going to go through the whole thing, and I think probably here in two weeks, we’re going to have a good idea of where things are headed,” Brinker told the media, per Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt. “And there’s a chance a team calls, and it makes you stop for a second and think, ‘Hey, we might need to consider this.’ But all of this is a part of being disciplined and being thorough.”

Dianna Russini of The Athletic seemed to imply that there are some in the building who are pushing for the team to trade out of the No. 1 overall spot. Russini, in a recent interview, talked about how those in the building with this view see so many question marks on the roster and so many positions of need. If a team gives them an offer that allows them to cover more ground in repairing what needs to be fixed, they feel as if the team needs to seriously consider that option.

Here are a few other rumors concerning quarterback prospects in the coming draft (and beyond):

In an interview on NFL Network yesterday, Ian Rapoport noted the Saints as a team that could go after a quarterback early in the draft. The team recently restructured Derek Carr‘s contract, ensuring that they wouldn’t be forced to draft a quarterback later this month, but Rapoport posits that New Orleans still needs a quarterback of the future. If necessary, the team could take a passer at ninth overall or trade back later into the first round, if they believe the guy they want will still be there. Notably, Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post told us today that officials from two NFL clubs have “suggested the Saints’ brass is…infatuated with Texas’s Quinn Ewers in the second round.”
La Canfora also cited a scout who believes that Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is “almost a lock to go in the second round.” Milroe has been making the rounds in the pre-draft process with several teams who have needs at quarterback. La Canfora’s source cited Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson as examples of guys who didn’t necessarily have elite accuracy or passing ability coming out of the draft but, eventually, added those attributes to their natural athleticism. Milroe is viewed as an elite athlete, and if teams believe they can improve on accuracy and passing traits that, at this moment, don’t seem NFL-ready, there’s no reason he can’t hear his name called on Day 1 or 2.
One last thing La Canfora mentioned was that “nearly everyone in the scouting community has opined on the Giants being infatuated with Texas quarterback Arch Manning.” Manning is obviously the nephew of long-time New York franchise passer Eli Manning. The issue with this thought is that they would need to tank in 2025 to be in a position to select Arch, and even then, both Eli and his brother, Peyton Manning, spent four years in college. If Arch follows in his uncles’ footsteps, the Giants would have to tank for two straight seasons in order to have a chance at him. A lot can happen in two years, and given that Manning has only played in 12 collegiate games and made only two starts for the Longhorns, his draft stock could easily change over that time.

Titans Aiming To Make WR Addition; CB L’Jarius Sneed Likely To Be Ready For Training Camp

April 3rd, 2025 at 6:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trading DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs before last year’s deadline, the Titans have not re-signed 2024 contributor Tyler Boyd. This has left a void alongside Calvin Ridley, who enters his age-30 season.

With Ridley locked in atop Tennessee’s receiving corps, GM Mike Borgonzi acknowledged the team’s deficiency. Thus far, only auxiliary option Van Jefferson has been added. And the Titans gave the well-traveled supporting-caster just $1.67MM on a one-year deal.

“Wide receiver is a position we’re going to have to attack here, whether that’s through the draft, waiver claims,” Borgonzi said, via TennesseeTitans.com’s Jim Wyatt. “That’s one position we’re really going to have to attack through training camp.”

The team still rosters Treylon Burks, but the 2022 first-round pick — chosen minutes after the Titans traded A.J. Brown to the Eagles — has not come close to filling the gaping hole the Brown deal left. Burks also underwent ACL surgery late last year, and head coach Brian Callahan said (via ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport) he will not be ready for training camp. Week 1 represents a more realistic goal for the fourth-year player, who suffered the knee injury during an October practice last year. While Callahan wants to give the Arkansas alum another shot, he was drafted two GMs ago (Jon Robinson) and has not topped 250 receiving yards in a season since a 444-yard rookie year.

Barring a change involving Travis Hunter, the Titans are unlikely to address their WR need in Round 1. Cam Ward is the most likely Tennessee pick at No. 1 overall. The Titans do hold their second-round pick (No. 35 overall), but they gave up their third (No. 66) for L’Jarius Sneed in last year’s tag-and-trade transaction with the Chiefs.

Sneed slogged through an injury-plagued debut season in Nashville, missing 12 games after signing a four-year, $76.4MM deal that came with $44MM guaranteed at signing. Seeing his dominant 2023 season lead to a 2024 dud, Sneed will be back with the Titans — unlike Chidobe Awuzie, a 2024 signee-turned-cap casualty-turned Raven — and will likely be ready for camp, per Callahan. A Sneed boundary complementary piece will likely be sought as well, as no notable Awuzie replacement has arrived. Awuzie missed much of last season as well.

As for the non-Ridley players Sneed will cover once Titans camp begins, Amari Cooper, Tyler Lockett and Keenan Allen represent the top veterans still available. Well, Diontae Johnson would qualify as the best option in a vacuum, but the wideout is coming off a diverse bridge-burning effort in 2024. Johnson should receive another chance, but he cost himself plenty of money with his 2024 actions. It should be expected the Titans will turn their attention to receiver with their second-round pick, potentially aiming to arm Ward with a young weapon to complement Ridley.

Browns To Hold Additional Meeting With Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders; Teams Doubting Cleveland’s Abdul Carter Interest?

April 3rd, 2025 at 4:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having rostered two players who could end up top-five picks in the draft, Colorado will feature its most notable pro day in ages. The Buffaloes’ top prospects are set to work out Friday in Boulder, and dozens of high-ranking NFL personnel members will be there.

Although the Titans are sending several key staffers to Boulder, the Browns will do more preparation on Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. Browns brass will have dinner with the Buffaloes’ top duo, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes.

This dinner comes after the Browns hosted both players on “30” visits and conducted meetings and workouts with other quarterbacks. Cleveland has hosted Cam Ward on a “30” visit and gone through a workout with the likely No. 1 overall pick, and the team has worked out Jalen Milroe and Jaxson Dart; a Tyler Shough meeting is also scheduled. But Cleveland holds the No. 2 pick, likely giving — in the expected event the Titans start the draft with Ward — right of first refusal on the Colorado stars.

Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski will be at the dinner, per Cabot, who adds new OC Tommy Rees and veteran QBs coach Bill Musgrave likely will join the top power brokers. The Browns view Hunter as a wide receiver, separating them from the Titans and Giants regarding one of the most interesting prospects in NFL history. Sanders, however, would be the more interesting pick from a big-picture lens.

The Browns are not expected to trade up to No. 1, as a 2-to-1 move has never happened in the NFL draft, but they have been closely connected to Abdul Carter. Cleveland brass hosted the Penn State defensive end on a “30” visit and dined with Carter and his family before the Nittany Lions’ pro day last week. However, some around the league are sensing a smokescreen effort. Two anonymous GMs told the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora they are not sold on a Browns-Carter fit, with one citing Stefanski being absent at the D-end’s dinner as a sign this might not come to fruition.

It would be a risk if the Browns passed on a quarterback at 2, even if Sanders has generated considerable scrutiny about being worthy of such an investment. Sanders, however, is not expected to fall too far if the Browns pass. Opinions vary on the Giants’ interest in Sanders, though a recent report suggested the NFC East team is indeed believed to be in on the two-year Buffaloes starter. If the Browns pass on Sanders, they may face the prospect of needing to trade back into Round 1 to acquire another QB. La Canfora doubles down on Dart being a first-round pick, something that has come up for a bit now.

The Browns hold the Nos. 33, 67 and 94 selections — the third choice coming via the Amari Cooper trade — if they want to assemble a package that could allow them to draft Carter and then vault up for Dart or, potentially, a falling Sanders. With Deshaun Watson almost definitely never taking another snap with the team — especially after Jimmy Haslam made the public admission of the catastrophic blunder his franchise made in trading for the embattled QB — the Browns need a cost-controlled option under center.

The Titans will send GM Mike Borgonzi, wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert and DC Dennard Wilson to Colorado, ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport adds. Brian Callahan and team president Chad Brinker will not join them, having already spent extensive time on Hunter and Sanders, whose private workout with Tennessee is slated for April 9. With Ward the most likely player to be Nashville-bound to start the draft, however, the Browns will be tasked with determining if Sanders or Hunter are worth passing on Carter.

Titans Re-Sign Justin Hardee

April 1st, 2025 at 2:33pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Titans have re-signed special teams ace Justin Hardee to a one-year deal, as first reported by FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz and confirmed by senior team writer Jim Wyatt.

2024 was Hardee’s first year in Tennessee, where he appeared in nine games with 185 snaps exclusively on special teams. He will take up a similar role in 2025 under new special teams coordinator John Fassel, according to Main Street Media’s Terry McCormick.

Originally a wide receiver at Illinois, Hardee converted to cornerback as an undrafted rookie in 2017. He didn’t make the Texans’ 53-man roster, but carved out a special teams role in New Orleans where he made 14 appearances. He remained with the Saints through the 2020 season, playing a handful of snaps on defense while continuing as a core special teams contributor.

Hardee’s reliability on special teams earned him a three-year, $6.75MM contract with the Jets in 2021. He played in every game in his first two seasons, but missed six games in 2023 due to a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve. Hardee was also named to his first career Pro Bowl in 2022.

He then signed with the Browns in 2024, but was released during final roster cuts. He bounced around a few practice squads – first in Cleveland, then in Carolina – before signing with the Titans at the end of October.

As an eight-year veteran, Hardee will receive a salary of at least $1.255MM. His success on special teams throughout his career could earn him a better contract with a higher base value and/or additional guarantees.

Titans’ Brian Callahan On No. 1 Overall Pick

March 30th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Rory Parks

Current reporting suggests Miami (FL) quarterback Cam Ward has clearly established himself as the best passer in the 2025 draft class. As such, the Titans – who were considered likely to trade down from their No. 1 overall selection not too long ago – are seemingly prepared to make Ward the top pick in next month’s draft.

Of course, Tennessee head coach Brian Callahan is not going to tip his team’s hand at this stage of the process, and new GM Mike Borgonzi recently said all options (including a trade-down) are still on the table (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk). Nonetheless, Callahan confirmed – assuming the Titans retain their No. 1 choice – the club will be picking one of a short list of four players.

“I think it’s a short list at No. 1 for sure, it’s all the guys that I think are worthy of it, the ones that everyone talks about out there, and between Travis [Hunter] and Shedeur [Sanders] and [Ward] and Abdul Carter, I think those are, that’s the top of the draft for me,” Callahan recently told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via NFL.com’s Coral Smith).

Callahan added, “[t]here’s going to be a lot of good ones certainly that come after them, but I think those at this moment are the best players in the draft and at the top of it.”

Carter is an elite pass-rushing prospect who has been closely linked to the Browns and their No. 2 overall pick in recent days. Hunter is a rare two-way phenom whom some teams primarily project as a cornerback at the professional level, with other teams valuing him more highly as a wide receiver. Both Carter and Hunter have long been viewed as the top overall talents in the 2025 class, though the fact that Ward and Sanders play quarterback naturally elevates their stock quite a bit.

With the 2025 crop of QBs generally considered a weak one, Borgonzi’s January comments indicating he would not pass on a “generational talent” with the first pick in the draft signaled to many that the Titans – who are not just a quarterback away from contention – would eschew a signal-caller at the top of the draft board and would instead select Carter or Hunter. Ward’s pre-draft ascension and the importance of the quarterback position may have changed the team’s thinking in that regard, though Callahan’s comments – if taken at face value, that is – suggest Carter and Hunter are still in the mix.

It is also notable that Callahan named Sanders as one of the four players worthy of the No. 1 selection. Much has been made about Sanders’ draft stock and the possibility that he might fall out of the first round entirely, as well as the fact that other QB prospects like Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough may have surpassed him on some team’s boards. Callahan’s remarks support the notion that, notwithstanding the rumors surrounding Sanders’ potential slide, the Colorado product remains an early-first round candidate. Despite the Ward-to-Tennessee momentum, the Titans will host Sanders on a private workout.

“We’re getting closer for sure; all of the processes are moving right along,” Callahan said of his second draft as a head coach. “I would say we have a pretty good feel for what direction we’re headed by early April here, and you put the final touches on it and tie the bow over it by the time you get to the draft.”

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