NFL analyst gives eyebrow-raising insight on Titans’ intentions with Cam Ward
Many consider Cam Ward the best quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft, but that may not be enough for the team holding the first selection to choose him.
According to NFL insider and draft expert Matt Miller, the Miami Hurricanes star may not be the first player off the board when the Tennessee Titans are on the clock next month to select first overall. On Tuesday’s episode of the Dan Patrick Show, Miller was asked if the Titans would select Ward at #1.
I don’t think so. I don’t get that sense, and I think it’s very telling that they are having these guys in for private workouts this week. This is the earliest I’ve ever heard of a team bringing players in after the Combine, Miller said (5:14)
The Titans are scheduled to meet with the top three players in this year’s draft this week: Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and Abdul Carter.
I don’t get the sense right now that the Titans feel like Cam Ward is gonna turn this football team around, Miller added at 5:54.
Ward was the 2024 ACC Player of the Year, throwing for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns with a passer rating of 172.2. Last season, however, Miller says he never thought Ward or Sanders were the best QB in college football.
I know they led college football in touchdowns, but I never watched on a Saturday and thought this guy’s the best quarterback in college football like I did Jayden Daniels or Joe Burrow, said Miller at 7:28.
The Titans finished the 2024 regular season with a 3-14 record and will hold the first overall selection for the first time since 2016.
What might the Titans do with the first pick?
There seems to be a consensus that the Titans will trade away the top pick before April’s draft. They have about six weeks to decide, and given they’re facing a lengthy rebuild, they may want to get more draft capital rather than put their franchise in the hands of a rookie.
ESPN considered quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, Daniel Jones, and Jimmy Garoppolo as potential options, though they all have higher price tags.
CBS said on Wednesday that Abdul Carter is rated near the top of their 2025 draft class, and they may be willing to strike a deal with the Cleveland Browns or New York Giants, who hold the second and third overall selections, respectively, and both are in the market for a quarterback.
In 2024, the Titans were 26th in passing yards per game (195.1) and third from the bottom in team sacks (32).