The Tennessee Titans will have the luxury of selecting first overall in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. They have needs across the depth chart, but there is a presumed likelihood that they will select a franchise quarterback to build around. However, a recent message from the team’s front office indicates that they could go in a different direction.
The Titans plan on taking the best player available in the 2025 NFL Draft
Tennessee held a press conference on Wednesday to introduce their new general manager, Mike Gorbonzi. During the presser, President of Football Operations Chad Brinker gave a vague idea of what their draft plans would be:
“We won’t pass on a generational talent with the first pick in the NFL Draft,” Brinker said (h/t ESPN’s Adam Schefter).
Brinker’s remarks now leave questions as to what direction the franchise will head in this offseason. There are a couple of top quarterbacks projected to land in the top five, such as Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. However, there are also blue-chip prospects at other positions, such as Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter or Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter. Perhaps those are the prospects that Tennessee might label as “generational.”
What the Titans choose to do at the draft could drastically affect other teams’ plans, such as the New York Giants, who have a clear and obvious need at quarterback. If Tennessee chooses not to select a quarterback first overall, the door is open for the Giants – who are picking third overall – to get their franchise quarterback.
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The Titans have many different routes they can take in the draft
Carter quickly shot up the draft boards after some stellar performances during the College Football Playoff, and he is widely considered the best pass-rusher in the draft class. He could wind up being an option for Tennessee with the No. 1 pick following a 2024 season in which he led the nation with 24 tackles for loss.
Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, is widely believed to be the best prospect in the draft class. He showed amazing two-way abilities as a 1,000-yard wide receiver and four-interception cornerback, and the Titans could utilize him in a number of ways as a hybrid player. Considering that, he could be the “generational” player that Brinker was referring to.
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The Titans have a number of different areas that need improvement. The last time the Titans had the first-overall pick was 2016, a pick that they traded to the Rams and was later used on Jared Goff. The last time they drafted someone first overall was in 1978, when they took running back and eventual Hall of Famer Earl Campbell.
Opportunities to select a generational player first overall don’t come often, so the Titans want to ensure that they are making the right choice before locking in a selection.
