NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As the 2025 draft nears, the Tennessee Titans are working through the process of deciding what to do with the No. 1 pick.
They are weighing all options to figure out if they should address their quarterback need with one of the top prospects, go with one of the other prospects or trade drown to accumulate more assets. Regardless of what they do, it seems more and more likely that they will select a quarterback in the top 10 for the fourth time since the franchise relocated to Tennessee in 1997.
Coach Brian Callahan said the organization is getting closer to making its final decision, but what is left to do?
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Tennessee checked off another touchpoint last week when it sent president of football operations Chad Brinker, general manager Mike Borgonzi, assistant general manager Reggie McKenzie, defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert, offensive coordinator Nick Holz and quarterbacks coach Bo Hardigree to Colorado for the pro day Friday. They watched one of the top prospects in quarterback Shedeur Sanders throw to his receivers, including Travis Hunter, who also is in the running for the top pick and doubles as a defensive back.
All signs pointed toward former Miami quarterback Cam Ward being the next signal-caller for the Titans going into Friday, but the Titans had to do their due diligence as the duo made their cases in front of the Titans and potential trade partners for the top pick.
Sanders said “you would be a fool not to pick me” during his pro day, and Colorado coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur’s father, feels one of his players should be the first name called when the draft begins April 24 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
“They should be going 1-2 [in the draft], that’s the way I feel about it,” Deion Sanders said. “They are the two best players in this draft. … The surest bets in this draft are those two young men.”
The Titans are in need of help after stumbling to a 3-14 record last season. The roster was in bad shape when Borgonzi took over in January and in need of playmakers, but adding the right quarterback could help elevate the team overall. That would be combined with some of their key free agent acquisitions, which have garnered some high praise.
As for the younger Sanders, he helped revitalize both programs he played for in college over the past four years. He believes that experience brings value to whatever team selects him.
“I don’t think Jackson State or Colorado had a winning history before I got here,” Sanders said. “So, it’s just another day at the office, another year at the office for me, same thing over and over. I understand how to approach different situations.”
Callahan was not part of the group that attended Colorado’s pro day. But he has done extensive work on Sanders and met with him at the East-West Shrine Bowl week in January and last month at the combine.
The Titans were set to have a private workout with Sanders on Wednesday but mutually decided to cancel it after a post-workout meeting, according to the team site. Callahan was scheduled to be at the workout before it was canceled. It would have been advantageous for Tennessee because the team runs the show instead of Sanders’ personal quarterbacks coach Darrell Colbert Jr.
That’s no slight on Colbert, who also trains Ward, as the Titans called Sanders’ workout very impressive.
“We wanted to show he can do all the under center drops, fakes and how consistent he is — not just on short-intermediate throws but the deep ball as well,” Colbert told ESPN.
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The Titans were also impressed with Ward’s workout at Miami’s pro day in March. They watched as Ward executed the script Colbert had designed. Colbert wanted to show that Ward is comfortable taking snaps from under center. He also wanted to showcase Ward’s ability to throw on the move.
Ward’s private workout with the team in Miami also went well, according to team sources, with controlling owner Amy Adams-Strunk also joining the group this time.
Owners don’t typically attend private workouts, so Strunk’s presence could be a pretty strong indication of where the Titans are leaning. The Titans tweaked some of Ward’s mechanics, specifically his footwork, and they were impressed with how smoothly Ward handled the adjustments, according to team sources.
“The in-person [workout] is critically important, particularly when you’re talking about quarterbacks,” Callahan said at the league meetings last week. “The private workout is fun because you get to actually coach so you can see how they respond to your coaching. It’s the best way to try to get a feel for what that’s going to look like on a day-to-day basis.”
Despite impressive performances by both quarterbacks, Callahan said the team is still open for business to trade the No. 1 pick despite a growing sentiment that it will draft Ward. Tennessee will continue to field offers from teams looking to move up.
The Titans have made it clear it will take a significant offer to move off the top pick. Borgonzi said as much back at the combine.
“If someone’s trading up for a quarterback, that means there’s a lot of value in it,” Borgonzi said. “Anytime you trade out of the No. 1 pick, you expect a big return.”
The talks have intensified, according to a team source. Borgonzi was spotted openly meeting with New York Giants general manager Joe Shoen in the courtyard at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, where the league meetings were held last week.
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As the talks have intensified, so has the idea that Ward is a franchise quarterback. That drives up the value of the first pick.
“You weigh whatever it is that’s being presented. If it’s something that you feel like is beyond the value you would have ever thought you could get, that’s one thing,” Callahan said. “But then you also have to look at what a potential franchise quarterback looks like and if you think they’re that good and they’re that type of player, those guys to me are priceless.”
Tennessee will continue to set its draft board. They’re building a vertical ranking of prospects by position. Once that’s established, they’ll approach it from a horizontal perspective. For example, how does the top quarterback rank against the top pass rusher? That’s what will ultimately help land them on the prospect they take.
There’s still more work to do. Callahan pointed to the virtual meetings they intend to have with prospects. There are more visits they’ll host at the facility with other players, which could include Ward’s or Sanders’ teammates to get more insight into who could become the next franchise quarterback.
The Titans are driven to leave no stone unturned. It’s a long process that should be coming to a head soon.
“We’ll make the decision knowing we’ve gone through every bit of the process,” Callahan said. “We will have looked at every possible outcome, and we’ll feel really good about it.”
