Titans Exec: 'We Won't Pass on a Generational Talent' with No. 1 2025 NFL Draft Pick

A high-ranking Tennessee Titans executive provided some insight Wednesday into the organization's stance on the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Speaking at the press conference to introduce new general manager Mike Borgonzi, Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker told reporters: "We won't pass on a generational talent with the first pick in the NFL draft."

Borgonzi also told reporters Wednesday he received some trade calls about the selection after his hiring to replace Ran Carthon.

The Titans secured the No. 1 overall pick by going 3-14 this season, marking the first time they have had the top selection since 1978 when they were the Houston Oilers.

Since making three consecutive playoff appearances from 2019 to 2021, the Titans have posted a losing record in three straight seasons, and quarterback play has been among their biggest issues.

After veteran Ryan Tannehill struggled in 2022, the Titans selected Will Levis in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft, and he went on to start nine games as a rookie, completing 58.4 percent of his passes for 1,808 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions.

Rather than selecting a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 draft such as Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy or Bo Nix, the Titans used the No. 7 overall pick on offensive tackle JC Latham and decided to give Levis a longer look as the starter.

Injuries and inconsistent play plagued Levis in his second season, though, as he went just 2-10 and completed 63.1 percent of his passing attempts for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 picks.

Head coach Brian Callahan shuffled between Levis and veteran journeyman Mason Rudolph as the starter, which suggests he doesn't necessarily have confidence in either player as the answer at quarterback moving forward.

Given the Titans' glaring need under center, they could use the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft on Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, who are widely regarded as the top two quarterbacks in the class.

However, it can be argued that neither of them would have been under consideration for a top-three pick in last year's draft when quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye went 1-2-3.

There hasn't been much indication that NFL talent evaluators view Ward or Sanders as a "generational talent," but the same can't be said for players at other positions.

The B/R NFL Scouting Department ranked Ward and Sanders as the Nos. 6 and 16 overall players in the draft as part of its latest big board released earlier this month.

Ranked ahead of Ward are Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter, Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Georgia safety Malaki Starks and Michigan cornerback Will Johnson.

Hunter may have a higher ceiling than any player in the draft, coming off a Heisman Trophy-winning season in which he caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns as a wideout and recorded 36 tackles, 11 passes defended and four interceptions as a defensive back.

While Hunter is likely to focus on one position over the other in the NFL, he is seemingly capable of playing either at a high level, which perhaps makes him the type of "generational talent" Brinker was referring to.

Barring the acquisition of a significant quarterback via free agency or trade, the Titans would still have an obvious hole at the position if they were to take Hunter, but passing on him and watching him excel elsewhere would likely be a tough pill to swallow.