by Asher Hirt ’25
April 2025
The opinions expressed here are strictly those of the writer and do not reflect the views of University School of Nashville or the Peabody Press.
Coming off a disappointing season with a record of 3-14, one good thing emerged with the Tennessee Titans: the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
First picks hold potential generation talent that can change the course of an organization single handedly. For example, The last time the Tennessee Titans had a first overall pick…. well, we were not the Titans but rather the Houston Oilers. That being said, in 1978 the Oilers drafted Earl Campbell with the first pick of the 1978 NFL draft. Earl Campell went on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and the NFL MVP the following year in 1979.
Campbell has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and remains one of the greatest to ever represent the organization. The Titans need this kind of transformative talent right now.
With all this potential for a player that can alter the organization’s future, the Titans need to capitalize on this opportunity.
In order to do that, here are the three potential paths the Titans could decide to go with.
Option 1: Draft a quarterback
There’s no other way to put it. The Titans current QB room is the worst in the entire NFL. If the Titans decide not to draft a quarterback this year it will be because the organization will be planning to definitely draft one next year.
In his second year, starting quarterback Will Levis, put up one of the worst seasons the Titans have ever seen in the history of the franchise. During last season he had the lowest QBR, a measurement which incorporates all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, out of any starting quarterback with a rating of 27.8.
Fixing the quarterback position is critical, and landing a top QB could provide the foundation for future success. Both Cam Ward and Sheduar Sanders are unanimously rated as the top two quarterbacks in the draft this year.
Ward boasts strong arm talent and a high level of pocket presence. In his last season of college football at the University of Miami, Ward combined for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. He had a QBR of 88.7 which was the second highest in all of college football.
On the other hand, Sanders brings athleticism and maturity that could translate to NFL readiness. Sanders previous season at University of Colorado Boulder was a standout as well. He amassed 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions.
While a quarterback can change a lot, their selection doesn’t necessarily plug the deep holes in the defense and offensive line that contributed to the Titans’ abysmal 2024-2025 season. Will Levis and Mason Rudolph were sacked a combined 53 times last season, the fourth most in the league.
However Tennessee’s new general manager, Mike Borgonzi has been addressing this during the off season leading up to the draft. Borgonzi fortified the trenches by signing former Pittsburgh Steeler left tackle Dan Moore Jr. as well as adding Detroit’s veteran right guard Kevin Zeitler. The addition of these two players allows last year’s first-round pick, JC Latham, to move to right tackle from the left side, where he makes a bigger impact.
Borgonzi stated at the NFL combine in late February to reporters that “you can have Superman back there, but if you don’t have protection and the balance of the run game, then it will be an uphill battle.”
Superman may be who the Titans need to pull off a comeback season, but the Superman they are looking for does not happen to be at the QB position.
Option 2: Draft the best available talent/Superman
If the Titans prioritize raw talent over positional need, Penn State’s Abdul Carter is most certainly the player to look at. Carter, a 6’3”, 260-pound defensive phenom, has drawn comparisons to Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys’ star defensive machine, for his speed, strength, and versatility as a defender. Carter’s versatility allows him to line up as an edge rusher, lineback, or even a defensive end.
In his final season, Carter led Penn State’s defense into the College Football Playoffs with two forced fumbles, 12 sacks, and 68 total tackles. For a Titans defense that ranked 30th in points allowed per game, drafting Carter might be a no brainer.
Option 3: Trade the pick
Looking at recent draft history, teams have paid astronomical prices to move up the draft board. In 2023, the Carolina Panthers surrendered two first round picks, two second round picks, and a star wide receiver DJ Moore to move up from the ninth pick in the draft to the first overall. Assuming any organization is crazy enough to offer anything close to this to the Titans, they need to take it.
Trading down would allow the Titans to address multiple roster holes at once while minimizing the risk of whiffing on one pick. By acquiring additional draft capital, they spread out their bets across several prospects rather than banking everything on one player.
The Dilemma: No Clear Option
In truth, the Titans are trapped. No single option provides a clear and guaranteed path to success. Trading away the pick might be the less risky path, but also could mean losing out on an all time player.
The quarterback class this year is not as strong as previous years, and the Titans might benefit by waiting another year in order to find a quarterback that has a higher prospect grade.
Abdul Carter, despite being immensely talented, unfortunately sits at a position where the Titans already have solid players.
The Titans do not have a good history of making the right decisions on draft night. Whether trading away one of our best offensive players, AJ Brown, in 2022 or the fact that only three of our last nine first round picks actually see time on the field, Titans draft day is scary for fans hoping for promising new players. However, they will have the opportunity to turn that narrative around when they start out the draft on April 24.
