Tales of the Titans: Draft Preview 2025
- Om Brown
- Apr 24
- 9 min read
The Tennessee Titans hold the #1 overall pick during the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay. With free agency over, here is my honest take on what the Titans should do in a draft that really isn’t all that special.
Free Agency Recap:
To talk about the draft, one must discuss free agency. The Titans made some shocking moves, and I will provide a brief overview of some of them.
1. Dan Moore Jr, OT, via the Steelers (4 years, $82 million):
Many criticized new GM Mike Borgonzi for this, including myself, but looking into it, it is a good deal, albeit an overpay. The Titans had a horrible offensive line in 2024, and Moore will slide into the LT spot, moving first round pick from last spring JC Latham back to his natural position at RT. Moore allowed a league-leading 12 sacks last year, but blocked for Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, two QB’s notorious for creating sacks. The contract is basically just for 2 seasons and $50 million with the way the money works, so it's a high-reward, low-risk contract that they can get out of. Also, OL coach and father of head coach Brian Callahan, Bill, is one of the best coaches to ever do it on the line, and can help Moore get better.
2. Kevin Zeitler, OG, via the Lions (1 year, $9 million):
Zeitler will likely only be in Nashville for a season, but is a great plug-and-play option at RG, a position that was subpar in '24 for Tennessee. The veteran will line up next to Latham and instantly make the offensive line a whole lot better, something that we have needed for years.
3. Brandon Allen, QB, via the 49ers (1 year, $1.4 million):
Allen, a former backup with the Bengals when the younger Callahan was the OC in Cincinnati, is a 3rd-stringer at best. Since he was the only QB signed by Tennessee, all signs are pointing to Miami’s signal-caller, Cam Ward, to be the first pick, something that I will break down in a little bit.
4. Dre’Mont Jones, EDGE, via the Seahawks (1 year, $10 million):
After cutting former Pro Bowler Harold Landry, Borgonzi pivoted and signed the talented but flawed Jones. Jones is a high-upside player who is a boom-or-bust off the edge, but doesn’t really fix the need for pass rush, something that the Titans have struggled with ever since Landry went down a couple of years ago due to a knee injury.
Draft Preview:
The bottom line is that Cam Ward will likely be a Tennessee Titan on April 24th. I’d say about 95% of the fanbase wants that. I am in the minority. I don’t want to see Ward wear the two-tone-blue at all. Why? I simply do not think he is worth a first overall draft pick. With the roster barren in talent at skill positions and on the defense (outside of superstar DT Jeffery Simmons), the Titans cannot afford to blow an opportunity like this, especially with legitimate holes at edge rusher, that Penn State’s Abdul Carter would fill right away.
As a disclaimer, I have done extensive homework on Ward. This offseason, Jordan Laube was kind enough to show me the ropes on how he evaluates players for the draft process, allowing me to collaborate with him for both receiver and QB rankings. I have watched film on a whole lot of signal callers from this draft, including Ward, and here are my honest thoughts. Make sure to go look at the work that Jordan does, he is an excellent person to learn about the ins and outs of football.
Yes, I believe Cam Ward should be a top-15 pick, but not the first in the whole draft. However, he is still far and away the best field general in the class. There are things that he does extremely well and he has a very high ceiling. Ward sports the most complete arm in the class, with great strength and touch. When watching him throw, I was very impressed with the combination of zip and precision that he has. He makes good decisions and takes care of the football throwing-wise, without forcing many throws. He can extend plays well and cycles through his reads, knowing when to take the checkdown, all traits that an NFL-level QB has. He has all the confidence in the world and believes in his abilities, another great trait for a top QB.
However, he does have some legitimate holes in his game that personally I feel like many overlook. He has a tendency to rely on his arm too much, making his mechanics break down, leading to overthrows and very spotty deep-ball accuracy. This is something that if not fixed early, will lead to turnovers at the NFL level. Ward played behind a brick wall of an O-Line, being sacked just 22 times. Even with a much improved line in Nashville, he won’t have that luxury of time in the pocket. He did fumble an alarming 8 times this year, one more lost ball than INTs thrown. Also in his time at the FBS level (3 seasons), he was just 3-6 when facing ranked opponents (excluding the loss in the Pop Tarts Bowl this season vs. #18 Iowa State where he only played the first half).
I will give him credit where credit is due, he is a very good QB. I do believe that many are caught up in the hype surrounding Ward and don’t see the negatives. While nobody is a perfect prospect, Ward still is not close to what Caleb Williams or Trevor Lawrence were coming out of USC and Clemson, respectively.
When asking Jordan about his thoughts on Ward, he said this; “I think he’s good; great arm strength, processes the defense well, doesn’t have the best pocket management but his athleticism helps mitigate that, his footwork needs improvement in terms of consistently having them in line with his receiver’s route, but he should be a starter for a while in the league. He would have been my QB5 in last year's class.”
When telling him about my thoughts on Abdul Carter to the Titans, Jordan agreed with me; “I think they (Tennessee) should go Abdul as well, but Abdul is kind of a wild card too, like he’s a very raw and explosive pass rusher.” Wrapping up our conversation he said something that caught my attention about the draft as a whole; “there’s not a lot of great top end talent (in this draft).”
Jordan being much more experienced than me on scouting and evaluating players, and yet agreeing with me on the Titans selection did tell me all I needed to know about Ward. He very well could end up being a great quarterback, but in a draft that is thin on talent at the top of the board, and the Titans needing help all across the roster, I firmly believe that Cam Ward should not be in Nashville in 2025.
My Honest Take on the Draft:
Tennessee has three major holes on the roster in obviously the QB position, off the edge on the defensive side, but also wide receiver. Calvin Ridley is a steady playmaker but is not a true top target. Losing fan-favorite Nick Westbrook-Ikhine to the Dolphins in free agency was a killer as well. To replace him, Borgonzi signed former Rams and Steelers wideout Van Jefferson to a 1-year, $2.5 million contract. That is an uninspiring WR room.
Switching to the defense, the release of Landry leaves the team with no true threat off the edge. Nobody on the roster has ever had a 10+ sack season now that Landry is off in New England. For a defense that started very well in 2024, a dominant pass rusher would be huge. What that does is take off pressure from the secondary, a unit that might be the deepest one on the team, as well as make Simmons’ and DT T’Vondre Sweat (who had an excellent rookie season) lives easier. Adding a legitimate guy on the end to create sacks would be such a huge addition to the team. A squad can only go so far with a lack of a pass rush.
Taking Ward at the first overall pick creates an issue. The 35th pick will likely then be an edge rusher like Marshall’s Mike Green, or one of the Texas A&M studs Shemar Stewart or Nic Scourton. That’s all fine and I would love to add one of those players, but without a 3rd round pick to their name, it makes the Titans punt on taking a receiver until the 4th. My problem with this is that there has been a consistent need for a dynamic young weapon ever since the ill-fated AJ Brown trade. Outside of taking Treylon Burks with the pick traded for Brown, the Titans have not drafted a receiver in the first two rounds since AJ. Whoever is under center needs a go-to-guy, and while Ridley is a nice piece to have in the present, the future has not been addressed for years. The likelihood of a Day 3 pass-catcher being a core part of the next era is slim to none. The roster needs someone who can be a reliable target for years to come.
How I Would Attack the Draft:
The first pick can of course be Abdul Carter, but I would also like it if they traded back. Either way, if they can get Carter in the top-5, it would be an ideal situation for the defense to instantly get a whole lot better. Having the edge rusher hole plugged, the team can then use the 35th overall selection to nab a receiver. Any one of Mizzou’s Luther Burden, Ole Miss’ Tre Harris or Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka would be ideal. Then, with the remaining draft choices, the front office can fill out depth as well as take a flier on one of the intriguing mid-round QB’s like Syracuse’s Kyle McCord, Oregon’s Dillion Gabriel, or Louisville's Tyler Shough. Adding a rookie arm to the mix with Levis and Allen adds upside and competition for the starting job.
The Case For Levis:
Many fans dislike the idea of giving Levis another chance, but I believe he needs one. For starters, Levis entered this past season with his 3rd coach and 4th play caller in the last three seasons, including college. The lack of continuity that he has had definitely has hindered his growth. Callahan was a rookie head coach this campaign, bringing over a complex offense from the Bengals with him. This is just Levis’ second full offseason as a pro, and was his first year working with Callahan. I believe that he should get another opportunity because of this.
The offensive line for the Titans in 2024 was a mess. Levis was sacked a whopping 41 times in his 12 games played, including twice getting dropped 8 times in a contest. Surprisingly, only 6 of those 41 were attributed to being his fault. He has better pocket presence than what fans will give him credit for. If he gets to start behind the improved line, Levis will show that he can lead an offense.
Another thing that many fans will not acknowledge is that he is an exceptionally built human. Standing at 6’4” and nearly 230 lbs, looking like a chiseled statue, Will is jacked to say the least. Sporting a rocket launcher for a right arm, he also ran a 4.52 40-yard dash at his Pro Day back in college. You can’t bail on an athlete like that. The sheer intrigue and body of work that Levis brings to the table is a huge plus. His arm talent is uncoachable, and we’ve seen him unload some cannon throws at times in his young career.
On top of his physical measurables, Levis has spent his offseason training with Jordan Palmer, a former NFL QB, but also one of the best and most respected quarterback trainers out there. He has shown a desire to get better, and is approaching this spring with a focus to refine his throwing mechanics.
I believe that taking Carter, filling holes on a barren roster, and running it back with Levis under center is a good thing to do. Will has a lot of potential, and another year in the system can only produce positives for him. I think the fanbase has been unfairly harsh on him, and trying to use him as a scapegoat for the disaster that was 2024. The worst thing that happens is that Levis fails to show growth this upcoming season, and we are picking at the top of the draft that projects to have a much deeper crop of QB’s to pick, like LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, Penn State’s Drew Allar and maybe even Peyton and Eli’s nephew, Arch Manning.
Final Thoughts:
While Tennessee will likely take Ward, I am skeptical of his ability to elevate the team. Some think that he is a true savior like Jayden Daniels was for Washington. The management of the Titans the last 2-3 years has been atrocious, with little continuity in the front office or on the staff. No matter what the team does, I will continue to support them, though I do truly believe they are doing the wrong thing by picking Ward at the first overall pick. I very well could be wrong, but these are my honest thoughts on a draft that Borgonzi and Callahan absolutely have to knock out of the park. Stay tuned for more draft coverage from myself, and as always, #TitanUp!
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