The Titans hold the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft. They also will enter the 2025 league year with only one quarterback under contract. Unfortunately, that quarterback, Will Levis, has accumulated a 5-16 record as a starter in his first two years of NFL play. These facts put together make it clear why Tennessee is doing their homework on the draft’s top quarterback prospects: Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. 
The common refrain in the runup to the draft so far has been that neither Ward nor Sanders would rank ahead of the six quarterbacks who were taken in the first round last year. Fortunately for Ward and Sanders, they’re not competing with those passers; they’re only competing with each other and prospects from other positions.
Tennessee could certainly address other positions with their top overall pick. Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter and Colorado two-way athlete Travis Hunter have been viewed as options that the Titans could roll with, but with the importance new general manager Mike Borgonzi puts on the quarterback position, a deep dive on the passers available is necessary.
Yesterday, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported out of Mobile, AL, the site of the Senior Bowl, that Ward was seen as the favorite in Tennessee over Sanders. They did note an interesting fact that, though both quarterbacks were onsite for the East-West Shrine Bowl in Arlington, TX, the Titans had an extra-long interview with Sanders, sitting with him for about an hour last week.
There’s a chance the Titans are throwing up a smokescreen, making things difficult for teams hoping to trade up into the top draft slot to know what they’re thinking. There’s also a chance that Tennessee has a good idea of what their thoughts are on Ward, and the extended interview could be viewed as due diligence necessary for Sanders to make up ground.
There’s of course a chance that the Titans are just interested in Sanders, though. Per ESPN’s Turron Davenport, Borgonzi is counting on head coach Brian Callahan‘s experience evaluating options for a No. 1 overall pick in this process. While Borgonzi was present in Kansas City for the acquisition of Patrick Mahomes, Mahomes fell to the Chiefs all the way down at No. 10 overall. Callahan, though, was part of the team in Cincinnati that decided to take Joe Burrow No. 1 overall over other options like Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa.
Callahan looks for attributes such as decision-making, timing, and accuracy when looking for a franchise passer. While arm strength is also an important baseline characteristic, Callahan notes that anticipatory throws can make up for a lack of arm strength.
“People had questions about Burrow’s arm strength in general coming out,” Callahan told ESPN. “One of the things that makes Joe so unique, and I think you can probably put Shedeur in the same conversation…they anticipate when they throw it. They have the timing and accuracy on top of it. That makes up for arm strength. Those things are how you make up for maybe not having the biggest arm. If you’re throwing on time and putting a ball when and where you’re supposed to go, you’re not going to have too many problems.”
Ward is going to take the cake for arm strength in comparison to Sanders. Ward excels in touch throws, ball placement, and the ability to throw from different arm angles. His decision making has come into question at times, but he still excelled in limiting turnovers, though the ones he committed were extremely questionable. Scouts haven’t necessarily been identifying many such attributes as elite in Sanders, but his ability to anticipate throws seems to make up for that in Callahan’s eyes.
Borgonzi is reportedly in line with Callahan’s list of core traits, but he adds an emphasis on leadership, character, and intelligence. While Sanders hasn’t had any complaints about his character or intelligence, his leadership has been called into question. It’s easy to see how it may have been difficult for Sanders’ leadership to shine under the shadow of his father in Boulder. Despite only playing one year in Miami, the Hurricane’s rallied around Ward because of his character and leadership, so he should check those boxes off for Borgonzi. For intelligence, Borgonzi may have to depend on the NFL’s controversial Wonderlic test, which has delivered mixed results over the years.
At this point, there’s still a lot of work to do for Ward, Sanders, and the Titans. Both quarterbacks have strong cases for convincing Tennessee to use that top pick on them, but the Titans could easily go another route and allow Ward and Sanders to fall to another team. The rest of the pre-draft process — the NFL Scouting Combine and each player’s pro day — could impact some decisions, but Sanders didn’t practice at last week’s Shrine Bowl after a request that he sit out by the Titans. The mind games may continue well up until the Titans are ultimately on the clock.
It would be really weird if they weren’t?
I wouldn’t touch Sanders at all. You know his dad is going to yap in front of the media 24/7 criticizing everything. 99% of all young QB’s are put into bad situations and make their mistakes, just like Levis. But to spilled into the national media each week(?) no thanks.
For what it’s worth, Matt Miller’s newsletter had this update from the Shrine Bowl, where Sanders interviewed with teams: “We are told by sources among those teams that his interviews went very well. Sanders came across as polished, mature, confident and a person who loves football. One scout remarked that it wasn’t the best quarterback interview he’d be in on in terms of pure football knowledge, but he left the session liking Sanders. Perhaps the biggest takeaway: Teams think Sanders wants to be his own player and his own man, and will begin distancing himself from his father Deion’s legacy and watchful eye.”
I hope so. But I have never seen Deion shy away from cameras and protecting his children. Whoever drafts S. Sanders has to know they’re drafting his dad as well.
He won’t be on the same team as his kids anymore.
D will always have the media in front of him. He loves it and will chew up the team saying it’s ‘their fault…’. What if it’s a situation like Caleb, Dan Dimes or Trevor or plenty of other highly drafted QB’s that have bad seasons? Then add in the megaphone of a dad? Simply not worth the outside headaches. I’d trade back and get a youngster next year instead.
I mean, these are all separate things. Jones was not that level of prospect, was overdrafted and overpaid. Lawrence has been in lousy situations. Williams has one year in the league when the Bears repeated their mistake of retaining a lame duck coach with a new QB. I think Sanders is a good not great prospect. Better than Jones entering the league, WAY less upside than Lawrence or Williams. I’d be concerned about that—and needing a quarterback the wrong year—much more than his father, who will be pretty busy.
Sanders has rough edges to his game. Not sure how much better he’ll get plus you get circus atmosphere w/em n Primetime. Ward put up video gm #s but so have alot of QBs who haven’t panned out. It’s weak QB draft class, maybe hit w/Dart or Slough in later rounds. Could have Hunter or kings ransom if they deal #1 overall pick.
Ward is slightly more athletic but sanders has better pocket awareness
My “pocket awareness” is the realization that there is a lot of lint where money should be.
Same bro. Same
We must be buying same brand of pants.
Take Carter at 1. They will not need to tank to be the worst team next year. They can take Arch Manning in ‘26.
““People had questions about Burrow’s arm strength in general coming out,” Callahan told ESPN.”
Uhhhmm.
Joe Burrow had the strongest arm I’ve seen on a prospect not named JaMarcus Russell.
He would flick 60 yard bombs…?
It was questioned and Burrow’s does not throw bombs. He makes it work but he is not launching passes even with that wr group. Herbert was the one in the draft with the big arm.
link to youtube.com
That wasn’t with a flick of the wrist though, he stepped into it. No one is saying he is weak armed just middle of the league above average arm. When they talk about arm strength it is also about off balance with distance & throwing into tight spots.
If “good decision making” is one of the things Callahan is looking for, I’d think that would hurt Ward. I think he has great raw talent, but it seems like I saw a lot of questionable decisions from him, either when he had pressure on him and/or when Miami was trailing. I see him as more of a project than an immediate answer.
Other opinions?
The Titans are more than a QB away from being a serious playoff contender so they have time to take on a project. Decision making is so much easier if you can trust your OL will keep the pressure off and give you time.
I also think that it’s rather premature to dismiss character or leadership questions for a player who only stayed in a bowl game long enough to break a record…and then watched his team lose.
I know that there will be a flood of people, as always, who will fiercely defend a player’s right to be selfish and protect his own worth, and they may make some decent arguments, but there’s no way to spin that as positive leadership. You can say that it was the “right” or “wrong” decision, but you cannot say that it shows good leadership to sit out instead of playing. For me, that’s a concern that will need to be addressed and alleviated if I’m in the position to invest in a player as a leader.
The first overall pick is now officially up for sale.
Mike Borgonzi has a history of defensive picks in the draft, while Dave Ziegler takes the best pick on the board. New addition to the brain trust, Reggie McKenzie, is a defensive first team builder.
I think that Abdul Carter is the bidding player. More teams are an elite edge rusher away than a QB.
Some of yall act like Deion doesn’t have a whole college team with 70+ guys and recruits to keep him busy. Just say you don’t like him.
I doubt he is going to be hovering around Shedeur. He will likely take the time to attend a few of each kids games.
Shedeur will be fine, he has grown up around the league. He has access to some of the best QBs to ever play. The team that draft him should give him time and build an oline.
Cincinnati that decided to take Joe Burrow No. 1 overall over other options like Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa.
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FWIW, Tua and Herbert were never options of the #1/1.
I honestly think both of these QBs are going to end up as mid-level backups in the NFL. There is nothing that jumps out for either of them other than their athleticism. If I were TEN, I would hype up the market as much as possible, then get as much as I could to trade back.
There isn’t a starting or future starting QB in this draft!!!
So they can draft Levi’s 2.0