NFL Mock Draft: Titans 4-round 2025 projection if they take Abdul Carter at No. 1

While Super Bowl 59 is set to take place on Feb. 9, the rest of the NFL is focused on draft season. Most teams are either Mobile, Ala. for the Senior Bowl or in Arlington, Texas for the East-West Shrine Bowl. Those teams are looking at the prospects competing in those games, and seeing if they are worthy of a draft pick and can be contributors on their roster.

The NFL Draft officially begins with the Tennessee Titans, who hold the No. 1 overall pick after going 3-14 on the season and holding the strength of schedule tiebreaker. Considering the struggles the team had at quarterback, whether being Will Levis or Mason Rudolph, many fans believed they would select Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders with their pick.

But Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker revealed that the team would not pass on a generational talent with the first overall pick, which put their chances of selecting a quarterback in question. With those comments various insiders and NFL Draft experts said that was hinting at the team potentially selecting Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter

BetMGM currently has Carter with +180 odds of being selected by the Titans with the No. 1 pick. That is behind Ward, who has +105 odds.

It's hard to deny the talent of Carter, who is basically unstoppable off the edge of the line of scrimmage. If the Titans were to go in that direction, what could the rest of their draft look like? Let's take a crack at it.

Titans four-round NFL mock draft if team drafts Abdul Carter with No. 1 pick

Round 1 (No. 1 overall pick): Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State

It's hard to fault the Titans for bypassing on a position of need, because Abdul Carter looks like a certified superstar. Penn State has had plenty of top pass rushers enter the NFL, most recently Micah Parsons, and Carter is the next.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 252-pounds, Carter showed the propensity to get to the quarterback. Even in the Citrus Bowl against Notre Dame with a bad shoulder, Carter still pressured Riley Leonard eight times on 33 pass rush snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Overall, Carter recorded 66 total pressures, 43 quarterback hurries, 13 sacks, and 10 quarterback hits in 734 total snaps.

Yes, the Titans need a quarterback, but who's to say that won't come in free agency or the trade block. Or, hear us out, wait until Round 2? Carter is just too good of a talent to pass on.

Round 2 (No. 35 overall pick): Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss

See, the Titans do get a quarterback in this year's NFL Draft. This isn't as stacked of a class for quarterbacks as it was in 2024, but there are still players with upside. Ward and Sanders are surefire first-rounders, leaving fans wondering who is the QB3 of this class. Based on the recent evaluations from NFL Draft experts, the consensus is Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart.

Dart, 6-foot-2 and 225-pounds, has thrived with Ole Miss under head coach Lane Kiffin. This past season, while they couldn't qualify for the College Football Playoff, Dart still put up big numbers. In 13 games, Dart led the SEC with 4,279 passing yards and a 69.3 completion percentage, while leading the country in yards gained per attempt (10.8), adjusted yards gained per attempt (11.53), and passing efficiency rating (180.7).

Overall, Dart threw for 10,617 yards, 72 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions on a 65.7 completion percentage, while running for 1,498 yards and 12 touchdowns on 371 attempts.

The real question that will follow Dart is whether his play was more of a product of Kiffin's system. He has a chance to prove himself this week at the Senior Bowl. But, NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah has Dart ranked 41st in his Top 50 prospects list, so that's saying something.

Round 4 (No. 101 overall pick): Mello Dotson, CB, Kansas

The Titans don't have a third-round pick this year due in part to their trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for cornerback L'Jarius Sneed. That trade, based off one season, hasn't panned out. Sneed only played five games this season due to a knee injury. When he did play, Sneed allowed nine receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown on 21 targets.

While the Titans pass defense statistically ranked second in the NFL (177.3 passing yards allowed per game), it wouldn't hurt to add some secondary help. That's where Mello Dotson of Kansas steps in.

Dotson stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 190 pounds. This past season, Dotson recorded 46 tackles, 19 defensive stops, and five interceptions. In coverage, Dotson allowed 38 receptions for 498 yards and four touchdowns on 67 targets.

It wouldn't hurt for the Titans to add secondary help through the draft.

Round 4 (No. 118 overall pick): Chase Lundt, T, UConn

If the Titans want to improve at the quarterback position, they will need some protection at the line of scrimmage. Tennessee used their first-round pick in 2024 on Alabama's J.C. Latham slotted in at left tackle, and he performed much like you'd expect a rookie would, allowing 47 pressures and seven sacks on 660 pass blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus.

While it's unlikely you'll find a starting offensive tackle in the fourth round of the draft, you'd at least find some depth. It certainly helps that Brian Callahan has his father, Bill, as his offensive line coach.

In the fourth round, we have the Titans taking Chase Lundt, 6-foot-8 and 305 pounds. This past season at UConn, Lundt allowed just nine pressures, eight quarterback hurries, one quarterback hit, and zero sacks in 449 pass blocking snaps. Yes, this was in the AAC, but those are pretty good numbers.

Again, it's unlikely you'll strike gold at an offensive tackle on Day 3. But, having the Callahans on staff, Lundt could be a solid developmental prospect.