The Tennessee Titans have the number one overall pick in this week's draft, where they could look to select Cam Ward out of Miami.
At the beginning of the pre-draft process, Ward was among a group of potential No. 1 picks, which included Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
However, just days before the draft, Bleacher Report analyst Brent Sobleski is advising the Titans not to select Hunter.
"Travis Hunter is simply a placeholder in this spot as the top-rated prospect among this year's draft class. He's every bit deserving of the number one overall pick if the Tennessee Titans didn't have a more pressing need at quarterback," Sobleski wrote.
"Anyone other than Miami's Cam Ward would be a poor decision by the Titans organization. Is Hunter a higher-rated prospect? Yes. Is he something truly unique that we haven't seen in the modern area? Also, yes. Could he help the Titans and improve the on-field product? Absolutely."
"However, the NFL is a quarterback-driven league. If a team doesn't have a quality signal-caller, it's already operating at a deficit entering each and every contest. The longer a team waits to address the game's most important position, the further behind it gets," he continued."
"Tennessee appears set on Ward as this year's top pick because it lacks a starting-caliber quarterback. The Miami product is graded as a top-10 talent. The math is rather simple here."
Hunter has a lot of intrigue and flexibility as a high-level wide receiver and cornerback, but it's clear that Tennessee has to go for a quarterback after not acquiring a starter during free agency.
Should Ward not be the No. 1 pick for whatever reason, it would send the draft into an absolute frenzy, which could spark a lot of drama down the line.
The NFL Draft begins on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT.
Analyst Believes Titans Could Make Mistake on QB Choice
The Tennessee Titans are just days away from likely making Cam Ward the number one overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Ward is widely viewed as the number one quarterback in this year's class, and the Titans need a signal caller, so the fit makes sense.
However, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. thinks that the Titans should pick Shedeur Sanders over Ward.
"I am higher on Sanders than other evaluators, as he's my QB1 in the class -- even above Miami's Cam Ward. He's tough, accurate and surgical in how he picks apart a defense. He's going to be a very good pro," Kiper writes.
Kiper also mentioned that Sanders and Ward aren't his favorite quarterbacks in the class. That distinction belongs to Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who is projected to be a Day 3 pick.
"Gabriel is a winner. He won 46 of his 63 career starts over time at UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon. There is a lot of good football on his tape. And Gabriel was terrific in 2024, throwing for 3,857 yards with 30 touchdown passes and six interceptions. He also ran in seven scores," Kiper writes.
"At 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, Gabriel is a rhythm passer with pinpoint accuracy and really impressive timing. He sees the field well, makes quick decisions and gets the ball out on time and on target. He completed 72.9% of his throws last season (third in the nation), and he was off target 6.1% of the time (second best). And Gabriel doesn't throw interceptions or turn the ball over. In six seasons, he has never thrown more than seven picks. Gabriel is sort of a poor man's Tua Tagovailoa in the way he plays (and not just because they are both lefties)."
This doesn't mean Gabriel and Sanders are going to be better than Ward in the NFL, but the consensus top pick may not be as surefire of a star as it may seem.
