Hypothetical Trade Packages for Will Levis If Titans Draft Cam Ward No. 1

While the 2025 NFL draft is less than a week away, there's still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the early first round. It feels, however, that Miami quarterback Cam Ward is a near-lock to land with the Tennessee Titans at No. 1 overall.

"The Titans are on the clock and the pick is expected to be Cam Ward, barring some last-minute, unforeseen offer rolling into Tennessee," ESPN's Adam Schefter said on Get Up (h/t On3's Sam Gillenwater).

If Ward is indeed destined to be Tennessee's next quarterback of the future, what do the Titans do with 2023 second-round pick Will Levis? A trade feels like the most likely outcome, and we could even see a deal over draft weekend—the Arizona Cardinals traded 2018 first-round pick Josh Rosen during the 2019 draft after taking Kyler Murray first overall.

Here, we'll examine five teams that could be interested in Levis, why they could look to make a move during or after the 2025 draft, and how trade packages might look.

Levis Does Carry Trade Value

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Will Levis

Before we dive into teams that could target Levis, it's worth examining why the 33rd pick in the 2023 class still carries trade value. After all, he's largely struggled in his two pro seasons, going 5-16 as a starter with an 82.7 passer rating.

There's a reason why the Titans may gamble on Ward over a "safer" prospect like Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter or Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter. Ward, for the record, is only the ninth-ranked prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's latest draft board.

The short answer is that Levis plays the most important position in football, is still only 25 years old and still possesses the upside that made him a valued draft prospect in the first place.

"Levis is a bet on getting something similar to Ryan Tannehill. Like Tannehill, Levis has the arm, toughness, functional athleticism, and experience to come in and play right away," Derrik Klassen wrote for the B/R Scouting Department ahead of the 2023 draft.

As a pro, Levis has made several highlight-reel plays with both his arm and his legs. At the same time, he has struggled with pre-snap recognition, working through progressions and ball security (26 turnovers in 21 games). There's likely at least one NFL coach, however, who believes that he can "fix" Levis' biggest issues.

In a world where there are never enough starting-caliber quarterbacks, Levis has value. In a year that features a relatively underwhelming rookie quarterback class, he should also draw a fair bit of interest on the trade market.

New Orleans Saints

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Saints head coach Kellen Moore

Saints Get: QB Will Levis

Titans Get: 2025 sixth-round pick (No. 184), QB Ben DiNucci

If Levis is looking for a new home and a chance to start, he should be hoping to land with the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints had a veteran starter for the 2025 season. However, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on April 11 that Derek Carr is dealing with a shoulder injury "that threatens his availability for this season."

If Carr is unlikely to play in 2025, the Saints may face pressure to draft a QB prospect like Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart with the ninth overall selection. If general manager Mickey Loomis believes that No. 9 is too high to take a signal-caller, though, he could pivot to a veteran like Kirk Cousins or Levis.

Of the two potential trade targets, Levis feels like a stronger fit for new head coach Kellen Moore and his offense. He's far less proven than Cousins, but his combination of arm strength, size (6'4", 229 lbs) and scrambling ability would give Moore some of the options he had with Jalen Hurts as the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator.

At worst, Levis would add another young signal-caller to a QB competition that will also likely involve Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener.

While the Titans can't expect a massive return for Levis after two disappointing seasons, this hypothetical trade would net them a Day 3 selection and a veteran backup in Ben DiNucci.

Pittsburgh Steelers

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Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin

Steelers Get: QB Will Levis, 2024 fifth-round pick (No. 167)

Titans Get: 2025 fourth-round pick (No. 123)

The Pittsburgh Steelers could also potentially give Levis a starting opportunity in 2025, depending on how things unfold in the coming days.

Pittsburgh has shown interest in 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers but is still waiting on him to make a decision. Unfortunately for the Steelers, Rodgers is still mulling his options.

"I’m open to anything and attached to nothing, so retirement could still be a possibility," Rodgers told The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday (h/t Justin Tasch of the New York Post).

Whether the Steelers land Rodgers or not, they need to find a young signal-caller to develop for the future. Pittsburgh has a track record of staying playoff-relevant under head coach Mike Tomlin. However, it doesn't have a long-term QB plan in place.

If prospects like Sanders and Dart aren't available at No. 21, they could view Levis as a viable alternative.

Levis' skill set could mesh with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who found success with dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields early last season. Levis isn't nearly as dynamic of a runner as Fields is, but he can scramble well enough to keep defenses honest. His arm strength would also allow Pittsburgh to stretch the field with receivers George Pickens and DK Metcalf.

In Pittsburgh, Levis would have a chance to compete with Mason Rudolph, who split time with Levis at quarterback in Tennessee last season. An early Day 3 pick swap might be enough to interest the Titans in this theoretical deal.

New York Jets

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Jets RB Breece Hall

Jets Get: QB Will Levis, 2025 fourth-round pick (No. 103)

Titans Get: RB Breece Hall

The New York Jets signed Fields to a two-year deal this offseason, but there's no guarantee that he'll be a permanent answer to the franchise's long-standing quarterback woes.

In this hypothetical trade, the Jets add Levis to the mix while offloading a running back who may not have a long-term future with the franchise.

Breece Hall has been an above-average starter in New York when healthy. However, he's entering a contract year and could potentially be pushed out by an incoming rookie like Boise State's Ashton Jeanty.

Earlier this month, ESPN’s Rich Cimini speculated that the Jets could be open to moving Hall if Jeanty is available at No. 7 overall. Bleacher Report's Alex Kay also examined some hypothetical trade packages New York would have to consider if Hall does become expendable.

The Titans didn't make Kay's list, but they become a sensible suitor if Levis interests New York.

Tennessee already features a solid backfield tandem in Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. However, adding Hall to the rotation could give the Titans a dominant rushing attack with which to support Ward early in his career. Hall's prowess as a runner and receiver would blend perfectly with Brian Callahan's offense, and Pollard looms as a potential 2026 cap casualty.

Releasing Pollard next offseason would save the Titans $7.3 million in cap space.

In exchange for Hall, the Jets would add a fourth-round pick and a young quarterback who could push Fields over the next two seasons. It's worth noting that Jets quarterbacks coach Charles London was Levis' QBs coach and passing game coordinator in Tennessee in 2023.

Minnesota Vikings

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Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy

Vikings Get: QB Will Levis, 2025 fourth-round pick (No. 120)

Titans Get: 2026 third-round pick

Levis is highly unlikely to find a starting opportunity with the Minnesota Vikings, at least not for any extended period of time. Minnesota appears poised to run with J.J. McCarthy, even though he missed his entire rookie campaign following knee surgery.

Minnesota, however, does need a quality backup and currently has only Brett Rypien behind McCarthy on the depth chart.

According to ProFootballTalk's Josh Alper, there has "been some thought" that the Vikings will wait until after the draft to add a veteran backup so as not to impact the compensatory pick formula. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah admitted on Thursday that the team is considering the comp-pick process.

"We’re not going to rush it either way. But we’re mindful of it," Adofo-Mensah said, per Alper.

Trading for Levis, however, would land Minnesota a (somewhat) experienced quarterback without potentially costing the Vikings a compensatory pick in 2026. While Levis wouldn't really be much of a mentor to McCarthy, he has 21 starts on his resume and could be a viable placeholder if McCarthy isn't ready to start by Week 1.

Levis might also be viewed as a better backup than an available veteran like Rodgers, Desmond Ridder or Carson Wentz.

Everyone loves a creative solution, and this hypothetical trade would provide one for both Tennessee and Minnesota. The Titans would give up their second of two fourth-round picks along with Levis but would net a valuable Day 2 selection in 2026.

The Vikings, meanwhile, would get their QB2 while adding to their limited 2025 draft capital. As things stand, Minnesota only owns four selections in this year's draft.

Los Angeles Rams

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Rams QB Matthew Stafford

Rams Get: QB Will Levis, 2025 fifth-round pick (No. 167)

Titans Get: 2025 fourth-round pick (No. 127)

The Los Angeles Rams would give Levis a chance to compete for a starting job. They could, however, provide him with a perfect opportunity to develop as a pro quarterback.

"Levis will fit best in a McVay/Shanahan style system that allows him a smoother transition to the league from a mental standpoint," Klassen wrote in 2023.

Learning under Sean McVay and behind Matthew Stafford could help Levis reach his NFL potential. McVay's spacing-based offense would allow him to operate as a "see it, throw it" passer while learning to better read defenses, hone accuracy and make better decisions.

The Rams, meanwhile, will need to find an heir to Stafford at some point. The 37-year-old will be back in 2025 after agreeing to an adjusted contract but isn't going to play forever.

According to McVay, though, Los Angeles may not be eager to land Stafford's successor in the 2025 draft.

I'll be honest with you, I haven't done a whole lot of work on the quarterbacks," McVay told reporters, per Brock Vierra of SI.com.

Now, McVay's statement may be mere pre-draft smoke, and the Rams could be considering a prospect like Dart or Alabama's Jalen Milroe with the 26th pick. If they're not, however, using a Day 3 pick swap to acquire Levis could be a wise move.

L.A. doesn't possess a second-round pick because of last year's trade to move up and acquire Braden Fiske. The Rams could easily consider Levis as a better option than whichever quarterbacks are still available in Round 3 or later.

*Draft order and information via Tankathon