NFL Mock Draft: 5 trades that would get Tennessee Titans to deal the No. 1 pick

For all intents and purposes, the Tennessee Titans should use the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft on a quarterback. Either Shedeur Sanders out of Colorado or Cam Ward out of Miami would do wonders in helping give this lost AFC South franchise some semblance of an identity. They have a second-year head coach in one Brian Callahan teaming up with a first-time general manager.

With Mike Borgonzi coming over from the Kansas City Chiefs organization to help rebuild the Titans from the ground up, he will be judged accordingly based on his first offseason running the front office. Tennessee has drafted a ton of quarterbacks over the years, but they have not truly hit on one since the franchise was located in Houston. There is so much more to winning than just quarterback.

It is why I am not completely ruling out the notion that the Titans might actually be a trade-back candidate this spring. Next year is supposed to be the far better year for quarterbacks. They could move back a few spots from No. 1, get a stud on defense who can make an immediate impact, recoup some draft capital and be in an even better position to land the face of their franchise next offseason.

If the Titans are listening, these five teams might come calling with their best trade package for them.

5. Cleveland Browns move up from No. 2

I do not think the Cleveland Browns are that dumb, but we did see the Chicago Bears do something far stupider in 2017. They moved up one spot from No. 3 to No. 2 in a deal with the San Francisco 49ers to reach on Mitchell Trubisky. Patrick Mahomes went a few picks later to the Chiefs that year. That is the type of move that could be at hand if the Browns moved up from No. 2 to No. 1 this spring.

Here is a rough idea of what it may take for the Titans to agree to move back one spot with Cleveland.

For the money to work, all the Browns would really need to give up in addition to the No. 2 overall pick this spring would be one of their many sixth-round picks. Again, they only have to move up one spot. For that reason, I would sweeten the deal and give the Titans their better of two third-round picks, too. Tennessee may want more than this, but it is the price to pay for punting on a better quarterback.

The only reason the Browns even consider moving up is during their player evaluations if is general manager Andrew Berry becomes more infatuated with a top prospect than Dylan Raiola is with Patrick Mahomes. If he cannot live in a world where Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward, or even Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter play for somebody else, I guess this inflated trade package would suffice that.

Fortunately, I do not see the Browns being the most viable trade-up partner in a deal with Tennessee.

4. New Orleans Saints move up from No. 9

The New Orleans Saints really need to figure it out soon. They are still the only team in the NFL who has not hired their next head coach. It might end up being Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, but we are more than a week from even potentially finding that out. Right now, the Saints are a complete mystery because we still have no idea what direction they will want to go in.

Either this year, but probably next, the Saints need to find a better, long-term solution at quarterback over Derek Carr. Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler are not the guys who will lead the Saints back to the promised land one day. Yes, they could reach on Jalen Milroe out of Alabama at No. 9, but they only move up to No. 1 in a deal with the Titans to draft either Sanders or Ward with the first selection.

Here is what that might cost the Saints to move up eight spots to No. 1 in a deal with Tennessee.

Moving back eight spots is a lot for one team to swallow. Then again, a different iteration of the Bears did that in the Carolina Panthers' quest to draft Bryce Young No. 1 overall out of Alabama in 2023. The Bears got a boatload back and ended up drafting Caleb Williams. Two years since that trade, are either team better off? I think the Saints just wait until 2026 to draft local product Garrett Nussmeier.

A pair of first-round picks, as well as their better third-round pick is simply a starting point for a trade.

3. New York Jets move up from No. 7

While there is a chance either the Cleveland Browns or the New Orleans Saints attempt to move up to No. 1 in a deal with the Titans, the New York Jets are the first team who might actually be interested in doing it. They have a new head coach and general manager combo in Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey coming over from Detroit and Denver, respectively. It serves them to flip their roster quickly.

Simply put, the Jets have to make a decision on Aaron Rodgers sooner rather than later. Two years in, and the Jets still stink. Gang Green has many other holes to fill picking at No. 7, but that may have more to do with it not being financially advantageous to take a quarterback with that pick. For that reason, they only move up six spots from No. 7 to No. 1 in a deal with the Titans for a quarterback.

Here is a rough estimate of what it may take for the Jets to end up having the No. 1 overall pick.

The basis of this trade is essentialy the same as what it would take for the Saints to trade up from No. 9. Again, there will probably be a few more assets changing hands in either of these hypothetical trade. For me, the Titans are going to likely need a trade partner's first-round picks in 2025 and 2026, as well as a top-100 pick in day two this spring to even get this ball rolling. Do the Jets have a ball?

It would not trade up for the No. 1 pick, but the Jets need to be aggressive in turning this around.

2. New York Giants move up from No. 3

This when desperation may take the wheel and really drive this thing into the ditch. There are two teams picking outside of the top two that really need a franchise quarterback. The first team we are going to touch on would have to be the New York Giants. After getting seemingly everything, Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen are back yet again to thumbscrew it some more like Ross Geller on Friends.

For as much as this frustrated fanbase may want the Giants to move heaven and earth to get inside of the top two to draft Cam Ward or even the son of the former Dallas Cowboys star in Shedeur Sanders, I would not trust this franchise to spell Giants correctly if you spotted them all six letters. This is a team in need of some juice. I am not sure there is a quarterback in this draft who offers that.

Should the IBM of the NFL decide that it wants to be taken seriously again, here is how they trade up.

The Giants only have to move up two spots from No. 3 to No. 1 in this deal. Swapping firsts this year with next year's coming along is a prerequisite. Maybe a fourth-round pick at No. 104 is part of adequate to fair compensation? While it may not be enough, the Giants are in somewhat of a spot where they could give up more. Frankly, they may need to do it. Otherwise, where is this team going?

This could be the trade that saves Daboll and Schoen's jobs, but I am not going to say that it will.

1. Las Vegas Raiders move up from No. 6

Commit to excellence for once and just do it, Las Vegas Raiders. For as much as it may be a good idea for a team like the New York Giants picking at No. 3 to move up two spots in a deal with the Titans for the No. 1 overall, what does that say about the Silver and Black picking at No. 6? They have a new head coach, a new general manager and need a quarterback worse than pretty much any NFL team.

Yes, they could be a candidate to grossly reach on Jalen Milroe at No. 6, but let's stop being the Raiders and let's start being real! If I were calling the shots in the Raiders front office like another John by the name of Spytek is, I would do everything in my power to get the No. 1 pick Tennessee to draft Shedeur Sanders. If they favor Cam Ward, then I would trade up to No. 2 with Cleveland next.

Here is what it may take for the Raiders to ensure themselves that Sanders is the franchise guy.

To show the Titans how serious you are, you give them your second-round pick this year as well. By retaining both third-round picks, you can potentially use either to trade back up into the second round if need be. Since there is not a ton of separation between guys coming off the board between No. 20 and No. 50 this spring, that one pick may be enough to entice the Titans to think about a trade.

The Raiders potentially prioritizing Sanders over Ward could help bring this proposed deal into action.