Unless Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi is pulling off the most elaborate con of all time, the team appears slated to select Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward at No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Whether you agree with that decision or not, the Titans have to know what their plan is at this point. It is a binary decision, either they believe he is a franchise quarterback worth staking the direction of the franchise on, or they need to trade down and maximize their value. They haven't pursued any starting-caliber quarterbacks in free agency, and trade rumors are already surrounding Will Levis, strongly indicating Ward is the plan at No. 1.
If the Titans were going to trade down, or if they were even strongly considering the move, you would have liked to see them address the quarterback position with a competent veteran. They didn't do that, and they are currently headed toward a training camp battle between Brandon Allen and Levis. Teams lie with their words all the time, but they rarely lie with their money and the money is pointing toward drafting a quarterback.
There are some other long shots to consider like a potential trade for Kirk Cousins or Derek Carr, but there isn't any legitimate traction there.
Unless something wild and unexpected happens, the Titans are staring down the barrel of drafting a rookie quarterback who is going to be thrown into the fire immediately. If that is the case, then they need to fully embrace that and start getting more aggressive in free agency while they still have a small chance to do something to help Ward develop quicker.
Auditing the offensive side of the ball, the Titans have some things to be encouraged by. J.C. Latham is an upgrade over Nicholas Petit-Frere at right tackle, Dan Moore is an upgrade at left tackle, and Kevin Zeitler is an upgrade over Dillon Radunz at right guard. Borgonzi promised to prioritize upgrading the offensive line and he's achieved that.
At running back, Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are a solid tandem that don't tip the playcall when they are on the field. Considering how deep and talented crop of draftable backs coming out this year, perhaps the Titans bolster that group further in the draft. You could say the same thing about the tight ends to a lesser extent, a group that could be bolstered by a rookie from a good draft class.
Things start to get concerning at wide receiver. Calvin Ridley is a borderline WR1 (but probably a WR2) and should be a quality starter for most of his four-year deal, but he is 30 years old at a position that falls off quickly. The other receivers on the roster are Treylon Burks, Bryce Oliver, Van Jefferson, Jha'Quan Jackson, Mason Kinsey, Colton Dowell, and an assortment of training camp bodies.
That is not enough to help a rookie quarterback who is going to be thrown into the fire immediately, and the Titans haven't done anything to get better at that position this offseason. In fact, they got worse following Nick Westbrook-Ikhine's departure.
If receiver was their only non-quarterback need, then you could pencil in a pass catcher at the top of the second round of the draft. However, EDGE is arguably in worse shape than receiver and there is arguably more draftable talent at EDGE than receiver in the draft, so the plan there remains unclear.
Even then, a second-round rookie almost certainly won't completely fix the hole at receiver. The Titans may be placing a lot of pressure on a rookie receiver to produce immediately.
Free agency has officially entered its second phase as remaining players try to find their best fit and teams try to find the best value. There are still some veteran receivers available with a year or two of good production left in the tank.
While they aren't what they were at their peak, Amari Cooper, Stefon Diggs, Brandin Cooks, and Keenan Allen are all players who could fill roles for the team. If the Titans aren't going to overpay, then they need to give these free agents a good reason to sign up and Ward could be that reason.
Even though the Titans don't have the resources to build a good football team in a single offseason, they need to approach the situation with more urgency. If they select Ward at No. 1 overall, his development becomes the top priority, and wins and losses will be secondary in 2025. Head coach Brian Callahan is on the hot seat and the last thing the Titans should want is to force another young quarterback to change schemes in his second season under a coach who didn't draft him.
