What Should the Titans do at No. 1? Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, a Major Trade, and More

The Tennessee Titans currently hold the top overall pick in the NFL Draft. It's an enviable place to be for new general manager Mike Borgonzi but not a slot he wants to find himself back in any time soon. While there are blue-chip prospects, there aren't any can't-miss quarterbacks in the 2025 draft, something Tennessee could use.

That leaves the options open and the rest of us wondering what the Titans are thinking with more than a month still until the draft. Let's run through some of the most likely options to try to determine where Tennessee might go and what they could gain by taking each path.

We'll answer five questions relating to the Titans and the top overall pick, including which players they might target and what it could look like if they choose to trade back. Most stats below are from NFL.com.

Should the Titans take a quarterback first overall?

They don't have a franchise QB, so it's definitely a possibility. If they were in this spot last year, there's no question they would have grabbed a passer, probably Caleb Williams. With better value at different positions, though, Tennessee would be taking a major risk by reaching for a quarterback.

Cameron Ward and Shedeur Sanders will both likely be drafted in the top 10. Quarterback is such an important position that those players will always move up draft boards; six passers went in the top 12 last year. Many analysts agree that one or both of these players rank outside the top-10 prospects, though, leaving value on the board for those who aren't looking to go quarterback.

Recent reports have pointed toward Tennessee focusing in on Ward, and he's the guy I would recommend over Sanders if they decide to go after a passer. Quarterback can't be counted out until the Titans are on the clock and pick someone else.

If not QB, is Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter the unquestioned top option?

He is the consensus top prospect among most major outlets, and Carter is probably the most likely player to get drafted first if it's not a quarterback. Most sportsbooks have Ward listed as the favorite to be drafted first then Carter behind him with no one else even close.

As far as the fit, ESPN did rank Tennessee 12th in pass rush win rate in 2024, but the team also cut Harold Landry III, the pass rusher who played the most snaps for the team last season. You'll hear me say it a lot, and it's always true: no team ever had too many pass rushers.

A team at the top of the draft can do best by getting a player they can build around, no matter which position he plays. The quarterbacks are certainly guys who can be built around if they hit, but the odds seem better that Carter will be a franchise-changing player.

Is the allure of Travis Hunter enough to make him the top player?

Hunter is the other guy some see as the top prospect, though they are probably overestimating how much work he will do on both sides of the ball. There will be a lot of debate about whether Hunter should play offense, defense, or both. If he does play both, the argument will be about how much time he should spend on the field at each position.

The most likely outcome is that Hunter spends most of his time on one side and becomes a very good player at that position, wherever it is. Trying to do too much will probably pull away from both sides, lessening his effect as a two-way player.

With that in mind, the Titans should only take Hunter if they believe he will be a better receiver or a better cornerback than Carter will be as a pass rusher. Don't draft Hunter thinking his combined value will be better; it's more likely that he will fade out at one position or only be a bit player on that side.

Should they consider trading back from No. 1?

Yes. If a team wants to move up to the top pick for a quarterback, they will almost certainly overpay. The Jimmy Johnson draft value chart, which assigns a value to every pick, says the difference between the top pick and third pick is 800 points. By that measure, the Giants could trade up from the third spot for their second- and third-round picks this year (No. 34 and No. 65).

That is a pretty decent return, but it's not in line with previous trades to the top for a QB. Let's look at Carolina moving up for Bryce Young a few years back: the Panthers moved up from No. 9, a difference of 1,650 points of draft value. The Panthers sent the following back to the Bears:

• Ninth overall pick
• 61st overall pick (292 points)
• Future first-round pick (1,000 points when valued in the middle of the round)
• Future second-round pick (420 points)
• Wide receiver D.J. Moore

When just looking at the draft compensation, the trade is about equal, as the Panthers gave up 1,712 points of value to offset the 1,650-point difference between the first rounders. Throw in Moore, though, and it's kind of like the Bears picked up the star receiver for free.

When the 2024 first-round pick Chicago got from Carolina ended up as the top overall pick, that put the trade far in the Bears' favor. The last piece of that trade coming to Chicago, the 41st pick this year, is just icing on the cake at this point.

A more realistic trade from No. 3 would see the Giants give up their 2026 first-round pick and probably a Day 2 pick both this year and next year (maybe one second- and one third-round pick). That's a haul. If Tennessee could get that type of value, they would probably be better off trading down a few spots and still ending up with either Carter or Hunter, depending on what the Browns do at No. 2.

If they move further down the board, Tennessee could be looking at something closer to the Bears/Panthers value; that's a no-brainer. They can still get an instant starter a little further down the board and be set up to add a lot of talent over the next few years.

What position should Tennessee target if they trade back?

Quarterback could be an option even if they do trade down. While there is buzz around Sanders as the top QB, there have also been negative reports that have come out related to interviews he did at the combine. That stuff mostly doesn't matter and gets blown way out of proportion, but it matters when talking about the most important position.

Going down to No. 9 might take them out of the quarterback conversation, and they could look to grab about anyone at that spot. The offensive line would have made sense, but Tennessee has added two new starters on the offensive line (left tackle Dan Moore and right guard Kevin Zeitler) and bumped 2024 first-round pick JC Latham to his natural spot at right tackle.

Wide receiver could be an option if they wanted to focus on the offense still. Calvin Ridley is there, but the team could use another guy that can win on the outside. While they signed Van Jefferson and still have former first-round pick Treylon Burks, both of those guys fit as complementary pieces that look much better around two stud receivers. This year's class is seen as being strong at the top, and the Titans could possibly grab the top guy on the board at the ninth spot.

Otherwise, they are probably looking at the defense. Pass rusher would be a smart move, and that's another position that analysts say is stacked in this draft. Tennessee had a strong pass defense last year (top 10 in yards per pass attempt allowed, and they led the league for a good part of the season), so they could probably do better by focusing on the defensive line rather than cornerback.

Whatever they end up doing, Tennessee is in a great spot to add high-profile talent and fill a few major holes within the first 35 picks of the draft. Ward might end up being the selection because of the value of his position, but the Titans have options, and they will define their next five years based on what they do with that top pick.