The Tennessee Titans were defeated by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, dropping their record to an embarrassing 3-13. If there was a positive development for the Titans, it was that both the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders executed upsets in their respective matchups. As a result, general manager Ran Carthon is now slated to own the No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
What the Titans opt to do with their upcoming premium first-round selection in April's festivities will have a franchise-altering impact on their direction, whether good or bad. The Titans could trade the pick to a QB-needy team (like the Raiders or Giants) and accumulate additional draft capital. They could stay put and draft a quarterback like Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, or they could take a premium prospect at an alternative position of need, like WR/CB Travis Hunter, or EDGE Abdul Carter.
One recent 2025 NFL Mock Draft has the Titans thinking outside the box.
Titans pair Aaron Rodgers with WR Luther Burden III
Cory Kinnan recently conducted a 2025 first-round mock draft on Daft on Draft. He had the Titans drafting wide receiver Luther Burden III, pairing him with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers in free agency.
"With a ton of needs on an aging roster, the Titans are not in the position to take a quarterback," Kinnan wrote. "This could be a team that gets in the market for Aaron Rodgers, so they get him a target here in Luther Burden III. Not the receiver you expected? He’s my WR1 so why not slot him first in this mock draft?"
It's worth noting the Titans still possessed the No. 4 overall selection when Kinnan conducted this mock, but the idea still holds weight. The Titans could target a wideout like Burden in a trade-down scenario and pair him with a veteran QB like Rodgers or Derek Carr. Or they could stay put at No. 2 overall and follow a similar thought process, but with the dynamic Hunter in Burden's place, next to an experienced quarterback acquired via trade or free agency.
A plethora of scenarios will be pitched to the Titans throughout the next few months. Solving the quarterback conundrum sits atop Carthon and Brian Callahan's offseason wishlist. Drafting Sanders/Ward, or signing a bridge-type veteran and kicking the rookie can to 2026, will be opposite options taken under consideration. Drafting a receiver like Hunter or Burden is only possible if the QB arrives via alternative methods.