Mel Kiper has the Titans getting their quarterback in his first 2025 NFL mock draft
People have a lot of feelings about ESPN’s Mel Kiper. You can say whatever you want about him, but he is the godfather of NFL Draft content on television. He’s really not great at predicting what happens in the draft. Think about the Jimmy Clausen draft. He had Clausen as the number one player on his board for pretty much that entire process. Well, we know how that went. Clausen wasn’t picked until the 48th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and flamed out of the league pretty quickly. All of that to say, his content moves the needle on the internet, but it doesn’t seem that he necessarily has his finger on the pulse of what is going on in NFL draft rooms.
Kiper released his first 2025 NFL mock draft this morning. He has the Tennessee Titans taking Cam Ward with the first pick in the draft. If you have been around here, you know that Ward has been the most popular pick to this point. I listened to Titans President of Football Operations Chad Brinker on 104.5 this morning (more on that later) and he sure sounded like the Titans are leaning towards taking a quarterback with that pick.
Of course, he also said that he wants 30 picks in the next three drafts and wants 12 of those picks to come inside the top 100. The easiest way to get there is to trade the first overall pick this year. The best way to drive up the value of that pick is for the league to think the Titans are going to take a quarterback. You can’t believe anything you hear this time of year.
As for Ward, here is what Kiper had to say about him:
I was a fan of Will Levis when the Titans took him early on Day 2 in 2023, and there’s still a chance he puts it all together. But he hasn’t played nearly well enough to keep the job in Tennessee. The Titans had the NFL’s second-worst QBR (37.3) and interception total (21) this season as they bounced between Levis and Mason Rudolph.
I’m sure new general manager Mike Borgonzi will listen to trade offers here, but his real decision should come down to Ward vs. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. I actually have Sanders ranked one spot ahead of Ward on my Big Board (No. 4 overall). Ward has the early top-pick buzz around the league, though, so that’s where I’m leaning for now. He extends plays with his creativity, mobility and strong arm. Ward led the nation with 39 touchdown passes this season, and he’d help put the Titans back on track.