NFL Draft expert thinks Titans might not take a quarterback with No. 1 pick

The moment the Tennessee Titans landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft speculation started to swirl about what quarterback they would choose to lead their franchise moving forward. Lack of certainty about the potential star power of either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders could cause Tennessee's brain trust to think a little differently.

Draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic believes that Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter will "absolutely" be in the mix to be the No. 1 overall pick. He does not specifically say that the Titans would be interested in the dynamic Nittany Lions star but it's easy to read between the lines. Tennessee also needs a dominant pass-rusher to be the face of their defense moving forward.

Even if the Titans decide they don't believe in a quarterback with the first pick, they should try to find a team that does who will part with valuable draft capital to move up to No. 1. Simply staying put and drafting Carter with the first pick would not maximize the opportunity that's in front of the Titans.

The Titans need to find a quarterback, one way or the other

The Raiders could turn into an ideal trade partner. They currently hold the No. 6 overall pick in Round 1 and are desperate to find a new starting quarterback. It's easy to envision a scenario where Tennessee moves down a few spots and grabs multiple premium picks that can help them fill a number of their roster holes.

None of this is to say that Carter is not a good enough prospect to merit consideration from the Titans. If they already had an established answer at the quarterback position it could make a lot of sense for them to target a potential double-digit sack artist with this pick. That's not the reality in Tennessee though. They need to answer the quarterback question before addressing any other need.

Carter will hear his name called early in the draft, but it should not be with the first pick. The Titans either need to draft the quarterback they like best or trade the pick to a team that falls in love with a signal-caller Tennessee doesn't love. Staying put and taking Carter at No. 1 would be a massive error by a franchise that needs to get maximum value out of this year's draft.