Yesterday (February 20, 2025) on the Todd McShay Show, McShay said the Tennessee Titans are not just open to trading the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, it’s actually their preference.
“This is exactly what I’m hearing. If there’s a wish list for [general manager Mike] Borgonzi in Tennessee, it’s to trade out of this pick.” – Todd McShay
McShay may not be an insider like ESPN’s Adam Schefter or NFL Network’s Ian Rappaport, but when it comes to all things draft-related, he’s as good a source as anyone. Assuming the Titans desire is to move the pick, what does this say about their feelings on Will Levis, who the team took with the 33rd overall pick in the 2023 draft? It actually says more about their feelings regarding quarterback prospects in 2025, then it does anything about Levis.
There are two projected first-round quarterbacks in this draft (Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward), and the Titans wanting to trade the pick says they aren’t interested in either player. The team could be eyeing a different position in the 2025 draft, or maybe they think the quarterback they really like is projected in a later round. Whatever they think, it’s not an endorsement of the former Kentucky Wildcat.
Levis’s numbers are almost identical to Patriots rookie Drake Maye, who’s been touted as a future great. Maye was slightly better, but given the praise he’s gotten for his rookie campaign, maybe Tennessee does believe they have something great in Levis. It’s also possible that Levis is less untouchable, because he is three years older than Maye, and had significantly more weapons to utilize on offense. Someone who wins a street race in a Chevy is more impressive than someone who does it in a Ferrari.
As of this publication, the Titans are projected to have $51 million in cap space next season. If they don’t believe their quarterback of the future is in the draft, and they don’t think it’s Levis, maybe they look at a guy like Sam Darnold. If head coach Brian Callahan thinks last season wasn’t a fluke for the Vikings starter, he may be willing to encourage the team to hand out a large contract to make him the top guy for the next three or more years.
Fortunately for those asking the question, this is deja vu, and the first dream wasn’t that long ago. In 2023, the draft had two quarterbacks vying to be the top selection, and neither one impressed scouts much. For this exact reason, the Chicago Bears had no interest in the first pick and chose to trade it. Statistically speaking, the top two signal-callers in 2025 had better finals college seasons than the 2023 class.
Bryce Young and CJ Stroud completed 64.5% and 65.9% of their passes respectively, for 3,325 and 3,684 yards. Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward completed 73.4% and 67.2% of their passes for 4,133 and 4,313 yards. Sanders might be the most pro-ready quarterback in the draft since Trevor Lawrence. Given the comparisons between the top of each class, it’s fair to use the Bears trade as a measuring stick for what the Titans could do.
The Bears traded the pick to the Carolina Panthers for the ninth pick in the 2023 draft, a second-round pick in the same draft, and a first-round pick (ended up first overall) in the 2024 draft. The Panthers also sent DJ Moore to Chicago, fresh off a season where he had 63 catches for 888 yards and 7 touchdowns. He was the 30th-ranked receiver in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) with a 73.9 overall rating.
By comparison, Davante Adams had a similar season this past year (75.8 PFF rating, 31st in the NFL) and he was traded for a third-round pick. This would mean the value of the first pick in a trade with another team in the top 10, would be two firsts, a second, and a third. This could be bumped to two firsts and two seconds, depending on how GM’s value this quarterback class.
There are four teams in this draft that could make a play for the first overall pick, based on how thirsty they are for a quarterback.
The Jets just suffered through year two of Aaron Rodgers. After he was injured in the first series of 2023, his triumphant comeback in 2024 resulted in a 5-12 season. They went 7-10 behind Zach Wilson and Trevor Simien the year before. The team is ready to move on from the aging conspiracy theorist, and with a fresh face (Aaron Glenn) at head coach, it only makes sense they bring in a fresh quarterback. The team doesn’t have a second-round pick in 2025, so this deal could end up costing them three firsts to move from 11 to 1.
Betting on Daniel Jones and not Saquon Barkley didn’t cost Joe Schoen his job, so he has a chance to right the ship. The team has the third overall pick in the draft, so it would be easy to assume they’d have to give up less to move up two spots. Maybe the two firsts and a second-rounder in 2026 would get the deal done? What happens in this draft will undoubtedly determine Schoen’s future.
He may be a minority owner, but Tom Brady wants his finger prints all over the team, and it appears Mark Davis is willing to let that happen. Hiring Pete Carroll as the head coach says it all about the Raiders’ goals. It’s “Win Now”. At the very least, it’s “Win before our coach needs to get a place in a long-term care facility”. Rumors have been flying about Shedeur playing under Brady and donning the silver and black all season. The team could make a deal to move up from six, and get someone decent to throw the ball to Brock Bowers.
Moving up from 14 could be cost-prohibitive. The Colts could be looking at three firsts and two seconds to get the deal done. They have clearly given up on Anthony Richardson, but they have a decent core group of guys. A competent signal-caller may be all they need to be a playoff team in a couple of years. Then again, maybe this franchise is about to become the Browns of the 2020’s.
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