Even with the Tennessee Titans selecting Cam Ward with the first overall pick in the draft, they're not expected to be a very good team in 2025. That's not necessarily a bad thing though, as it'll give Ward time to develop without having to feel immediate pressure to win.
Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus wrote about every team's biggest question mark heading into the 2025 season and for the Titans, he said it was "How soon do non-first round rookies contribute?"
"[T]he Titans drafted Oluwafemi Oladejo (78.6 PFF run-defense grade, 65.6 PFF pass-rushing grade) in the second round. With only three Titans reaching 30-plus pressures last year, the UCLA product may be able to start instantly.
Meanwhile, fourth-round receivers Elic Ayomanor (74.3 PFF receiving grade, 72.7 PFF pass-blocking grade) and Chimere Dike (71.3 PFF receiving grade) join a room lacking consistent options next to Calvin Ridley. Even third-round safety Kevin Winston Jr. (89.2 PFF overall grade in 2023) may eventually start as he recovers from injury."
How soon will Mike Borgonzi's first draft class contribute for the Titans?
This is a fair question for Tennessee and will tell fans a lot about how Mike Borgonzi and how he'll fare as a general manager. This was his first draft steering the ship in Tennessee and while no, there aren't many expectations for the Titans in 2025, seeing the rookie class perform well or at least show some potential would be crucial.
As Locker pointed out, the Titans added players in the draft who might be able to start right away. The hope is that the rookies can join the party and help the Titans win some games in 2025 but Locker's whole point here is that the big question is when this will happen? What if it doesn't happen?
Hopefully, that's a question Titans fans don't have to deal with. The expectation is that the rookie players will have opportunities to prove themselves and work their way into the lineup where they can make as much impact as possible. If that doesn't happen, however, it might not be time to panic but fans might not be feeling great about Borgonzi if his first draft class struggles to find its footing.