NFL Draft Week 2025 is officially upon us. Nashville sports fans are desperate to hear Miami quarterback Cam Ward's name called when the Tennessee Titans are on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick.
They've been waiting for this since mid-October.
Cam Ward can be the Titans franchise quarterback
When Tennessee does select Ward on Thursday night, it will be just one part of a phased approach to building around a potential franchise-changing player.
The Titans have been preparing for this moment since February's scouting combine. Adding two veteran starters in free agent left tackle Dan Moore and right guard Kevin Zeitler were the first steps. Drafting Ward is Phase 2.
The third step in this process will be pivoting as a franchise, from ownership to janitorial staff, to do everything within their power to making sure Ward succeeds.
"I think the improvement you saw from Washington State to Miami is really exciting and encouraging," said ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes on The Buck Reising Show. "Because when you look at a lot of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, your Josh Allens for example, your Jalen Hurts, is that something they have in common is that continued improvement from the college level and that continued in the NFL. I just think that's a trait that only certain guys have.
Ward's battled-tested resumé is a huge selling point.
Starting his collegiate career as a zero-star high school recruit at FCS Incarnate Word for two seasons, Ward transferred to Washington State for the next two. Sage advice to return to college instead of declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft saw Ward head to the Hurricanes, where he finished as a Heisman Trophy finalist on the heels of one of the most successful quarterbacking seasons in Miami history.
Tennessee's future is riding on Ward's ability to do the same at the professional level.
