The Tennessee Titans will kick things off for the entire 2025 draft with the selection of Miami’s Cam Ward. What else did they do to help rebound from a 3-14 season? The Titans have 16 total wins over the last three seasons since making the 2021 playoffs. Here is how they did in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Overall Titans Draft Grade: A-
Getting the only highly-regarded quarterback in the draft almost automatically earned the Tennessee Titans a high grade. Cam Ward has the potential to transform a franchise that has lost its way since firing Mike Vrabel and Jon Robinson, serving as a do-over for Brian Callahan in his second season. Ward is almost certain to improve Tennessee’s quarterback play from 2024, which featured the 26th-ranked quarterback (Mason Rudolph) and 34th-ranked QB (Will Levis) in PFSN’s QB+ metric.
It’s not just about Ward, though, as the Titans got strong value with their pass catchers to assist Ward’s development. Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor will be viewed as one of the steals of Day 3, going late in the fourth round after being largely mocked as a Day 2 player. The Titans also added Chimere Dike and Gunnar Helm with their first two picks in the fourth round. That trio is vital to rounding out a pass-catching group that was dangerously thin behind Calvin Ridley.
The defense could still struggle in the short term, though Tennessee invested in the unit in Day 2 via edge rusher Femi Oladejo and safety Kevin Winston Jr. Both should help around the line of scrimmage, with Winston serving as a box safety who enables the Titans to play some three-safety sets with Amani Hooker and Xavier Woods. However, only one of their six picks on Day 3 went to defense (Cal cornerback Marcus Harris in the sixth round).
Ultimately, the Titans are still probably a year away from contention, even in the weak AFC South. However, between their Day 3 picks and free agency investment in the offensive line, Tennessee has smartly built a workable environment to facilitate Ward’s development. That’s all that really matters in the short term, and a strong rookie season from Ward will allow the Titans to swing for the fences with splashier moves next offseason.
Grades for Every Titans Draft Pick
- Round 1, Pick 1
Cam Ward, QB | Miami (FL)
Grade: A
The Titans needed a quarterback. They got the best one in the 2025 NFL Draft with Miami’s Cam Ward. Heading into Year 2, Brian Callahan needed to get “his guy”, and Ward is a worthwhile investment with his high-end creative tools and gunslinger skill set.
There’s still room for Ward to keep growing, but his rare mix of pocket mobility, change-of-direction, arm elasticity, layering ability, and fearlessness gives him unique roster elevation upside that no other 2025 QB can match.
With their prospective franchise QB now in tow, the Titans should turn their focus to attacking lingering deficiencies on defense and bolstering Ward’s weapons core. With the right support, Ward can hit the ground running as a starter and potentially grow into a top-12 QB.
- Round 2, Pick 52
Oluwafemi Oladejo, EDGE | UCLA
Grade: B
It was widely expected that the Titans would target either WR talent or EDGE talent on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft. They ultimately chose to address the EDGE position, taking UCLA’s Oluwafemi Oladejo with the 52nd overall pick.
The Titans’ EDGE room is very sparse, and because Oladejo is just one year into his full-time EDGE career, he may be a bit too raw to be relied upon as a consistent producer in Year 1.
That said, if the Titans have the patience, Oladejo has the natural leverage, proportional length, speed-to-power profile, burst, bend, and motor to become a quality starter in time, with impact upside.
- Round 3, Pick 82
Kevin Winston Jr., S | Penn State
Grade: A
The Titans are still early in a prospective rebuild, so drafting for long-term potential in Day 2 is an acceptable strategy. They followed that philosophy at the safety position by taking Kevin Winston Jr. with the 82nd overall pick.
Winston only played in three games in 2024 before missing the rest of the campaign with an injury, but at 6’2”, 215 pounds, he’s already one of the best run support safeties in the class. He tackles like an apex predator coming downhill and closes ground with voracity, and he flashes inspiring coverage mobility and field vision at his size.
Down the road, Winston could replace Xavier Woods alongside Amani Hooker and give the Titans a true two-phase enforcer on the back end.
- Round 4, Pick 103
Chimere Dike, WR | Florida
Grade: B-
As many expected, the Titans went with a wide receiver to kick off the fourth round, but the player selection was a bit surprising. The Titans passed on Jalen Royals and Tory Horton, among others, to select Chimere Dike. It wouldn’t have been my pick, but that doesn’t mean Dike doesn’t have merit as a player.
At 6’1”, 196 pounds, with over 32” arms, 4.34 speed, and elite explosiveness and agility, Dike has an extremely appealing athletic profile and slot and boundary versatility. His hands aren’t very consistent through contact, and he’ll need to keep expanding his route tree, but he has the building blocks to become a quality rotational WR and potential WR3.
- Round 4, Pick 120
Gunnar Helm, TE, Texas
Grade: B+
The Titans have prioritized the offensive side of the ball to begin Day 3, and it makes a ton of sense. You don’t take Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick and not do everything you can to put weapons around him. Dike added some depth to the WR room, and Gunnar Helm brings some pass-catching juice to the tight end group that also features Chig Okonkwo.
While not super explosive, Helm is a chain-mover who excels in contested catch situations. He’s also a capable blocker and plays with a certain toughness about him. With Okonkwo in the mix, the Titans likely won’t ask too much from right away, but he has the intangibles and reliability to earn snaps as a rookie.
- Round 4, Pick 136
Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
Grade: A+
This is tremendous value for the Tennessee Titans, getting a top-100 weapon for franchise quarterback Cam Ward. At 6’2”, 206 pounds, Elic Ayomanor has a lot of the desired tools: Size, mass, near-4.4 speed, open-field explosiveness, and the suddenness to underpin RAC and separation upside.
Ayomanor isn’t the most consistent operator as a route runner, and he also doesn’t always play with the physicality and strength you’d expect at his size. But he’s a dynamic player in the short and intermediate ranges, with the body control and coordination to pull off acrobatic catches down the field.
Next to Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett, Ayomanor enters a good situation as a potential power-slot WR.
- Round 5, Pick 167
Jackson Slater, G | Sacramento State
Grade: B+ - Round 6, Pick 183
Marcus Harris, CB | California
Grade: B - Round 6, Pick 188
Kalel Mullings, RB | Michigan
Grade: C