The Tennessee Titans have a sizable, franchise-altering decision to make this offseason as the owners of the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. First-year general manager Mike Borgonzi is tasked with finding a new starting quarterback this summer. Of course, Borgonzi could attempt to rectify that by drafting Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders with the top overall pick.
Or the Titans could go the veteran quarterback route. They've already been tied to various signal callers, including future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, who is departing the New York Jets. If the Titans prefer an experienced quarterback, trading the No. 1 overall selection to a QB-needy team in exchange for additional draft capital becomes a realistic scenario.
NFL.Com’s Ian Rapoport recently reported that the Titans are considering trading the pick.
The #Titans are open to all options at No. 1 overall, including potentially trading the pick, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 9, 2025
And what they decide will have a major impact on everything and everyone going forward. My story: https://t.co/zH0yutcNmvhttps://t.co/zH0yutcNmv
“While it's early in the process, Tennessee has an open mind with the first pick, sources say,” Rapoport writes. “All options are on the table, including possibly trading the pick, and the Titans are expected to receive calls from other teams.”
Borgonzi and president of football operations Chad Brinker have discussed building the Titans through the draft. They've also mentioned a goal of making 12 top 100 draft picks over the next three years. That projection becomes far more realistic if the Titans acquire extra capital by trading down.
The Cleveland Browns (No. 2) and New York Giants (No. 3) qualify as QB-needy teams slated to pick right after the Titans. If either one wants to guarantee themselves the quarterback of their choice, trading with the Titans is the only surefire way to achieve that.
If the Titans manage to trade down with the Browns or the Giants, they could still target an elite prospect like Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, or Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter.
As Rapoport mentions, the evaluation remains ongoing. The Titans remain in the early portion of the pre-draft process. They're still getting to know the quarterbacks. They met with Sanders at the East-West Shrine Bowl. They'll likely meet with Ward at February's NFL Scouting Combine. Both quarterbacks will probably make in-person visits to Nashville.
The Titans traded the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. It set them up for years of sustained success, but the situation was different. They believed they had a franchise quarterback on the roster at that time in Marcus Mariota. With the general consensus agreeing Ward and Sanders aren't franchise-QB type prospects, trading the pick and building the roster could be the best possible outcome.