The Tennessee Titans are on the clock with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but the lack of a sure-fire top prospect could lead to the selection heading elsewhere.
While quarterbacks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, as well as edge rusher Abdul Carter, are appealing options, the Titans simply cannot afford to jeopardize their future by making the wrong decision. Tennessee’s front office could opt to move the top pick in hopes of ending up in a similar position at next season’s end, where an easier selection will hopefully be waiting.
A handful of teams are likely willing to swing for the fences with the Titans’ selection, possibly the New York Jets.
Titans Predicted to Grab Justin Fields
The Jets inked QB Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract not long ago, showing they have a level of faith he can still develop into the face of their franchise. However, this deal also doesn’t prove he’s an untouchable asset. Because of this, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox predicts the Jets will send the No. 7 pick, No. 42 pick, their 2026 first-round pick, and Fields to Tennessee for the top selection.
“The Titans can’t expect to trade down much further than two spots and still have a realistic shot at Ward or Sanders. The Browns and Giants are legitimate threats to take a quarterback, and any team moving up to No. 1 will presumably only do so for a quarterback,” Knox wrote.
“The New York Jets could potentially interest Tennessee by offering up another young quarterback with upside.”
There is one major flaw with this trade proposal, which is why wouldn’t the Titans have just signed Fields themselves and made taking Carter at No. 1 the easy choice? There are two possible reasons, and the first is that the Titans are more interested in selecting Ward or Sanders than adding a question mark like Fields, or maybe Fields saw signing with the Jets as a safer opportunity to start given Tennessee’s draft position.
It’s worth noting that Ward is the much more likely candidate to go No. 1 compared to Sanders, just as PFSN’s latest mock draft projects.
No matter who is starting for either organization next season, each offensive unit needs serious help. The Titans’ offense slotted at No. 27 in PFSN’s Offense+ metric while the Jets came in at No. 19.
Ward, Sanders, and Fields are major question marks in their own respective ways, so this shocking trade actually occurring comes down to whether the Titans are willing to swing for the fences or just play it safe.
Is Cam Ward the Right Option for Tennessee at No. 1?
While a move for Fields seems a bit unrealistic, the Titans arguably do need to make a move under center to improve their long-term outlook — and potentially save jobs. With the No. 1 pick at their disposal, the opportunity is ripe for Tennessee to turn the tides on their franchise’s future, but what is the right move to make?
Well, according to the public, Ward is the slam-dunk answer. When looking at PFSN’s NFL Mock Draft Simulator data, fans everywhere are linking the Miami (FL) passer to Nashville, Tenn., with regularity.
Using PFSN’s MDS user data, Alex Kennedy wrote a 2025 NFL Mock Draft that connected teams to the players their fans most often selected. using this thought process, Ward landed with the Titans as the No. 1 pick.
While the masses are not always right, public opinion is a powerful influence on even the sharpest of front offices, and the Titans might value what their fans want.
“The possibility of Miami (FL) QB Cam Ward going No. 1 overall has gained momentum in recent weeks, and fans seem to be getting excited about the Titans landing their potential QB of the future — with 58.0% of users making him the first player off the board,” Kennedy wrote.
