The 2024-25 NFL season is one that nearly every Tennessee Titans fan would like to forget. With Will Levis handling quarterback responsibilities for most of the season, it was a painful watch throughout the year. Ultimately, their patience paid off, and the team earned the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Two quarterbacks are leading the race in this year’s draft class, but one analyst argues that the Titans would be better off going after neither. Instead, they could choose to be patient with their rebuild.
Tennessee Titans Go for Neither Cam Ward nor Shedeur Sanders?
Last year, the Titans finished as the sixth-worst unit on offense in the league, according to PFSN’s Offense+ metric. A huge reason for that was the play of quarterback Will Levis, who ranked 34th out of 39 eligible quarterbacks in PFSN’s QB+ metric.
It even took away some shine from a phenomenal season by running back Tony Pollard, who totaled 1,079 yards on the season. Simultaneously, the defense wasn’t that bad either, finishing as the 22nd-ranked unit on PFSN’s Defense+ metric but functioning better throughout the year.
However, Aaron Schatz of ESPN still believes the focus in Tennessee should be on building out the rest of the roster for one simple reason. He doesn’t believe there is anyone good enough to change the fortunes of the franchise.
“The analytic standard is normally that the quarterback position is so important that a franchise has to take a quarterback at the top of the draft if it needs one. But many draft analysts don’t feel that any of this year’s quarterbacks are truly worth the first overall selection,” Schatz said.
“Maybe the best thing is not to reach. The AFC is currently loaded, and the Titans shouldn’t use the No. 1 pick on a middle-of-the-pack QB.” Instead, they could continue to build a defensive unit that was far better than the 22nd-ranked finish suggests.
“The Titans should draft edge rusher Abdul Carter or cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter instead of forcing a competitive window where one does not exist.” And, as the icing on the cake, the team might very well agree.
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“The Titans have already suggested they are thinking this way with team president Chad Brinker’s comment that the Titans ‘will not pass on a generational talent’ in the draft.” As good as Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders have been, they might not draw blue-chip status, unlike other top names like Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, or Ashton Jeanty.
Maybe the Titans do indeed look in that direction and pass on a quarterback. It would subject the fanbase to potentially another year of Will Levis manning the QB position. However, for the long-term health of the franchise, the decision might just work out.