The New York Giants had an abysmal 100th season, finishing 4-13 on the year with suboptimal quarterback play. Unfortunately for them, that record wasn't bad enough to get the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Instead, that goes to the Tennessee Titans, who have shown so far in free agency that quarterback is still a need for them.
Even though the Titans provided some hope when president of football operations Chad Brinker said they would not pass on a generational talent, it's looking less and less likely they will pass on a quarterback or trade out of the No. 1 spot in the draft.
ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reports that the Titans have become "increasingly impressed with Ward" and even though they will listen to offers for the No. 1 pick, their asking price has increased.
ESPN Giants reporter Jordan Raanan followed up on Schefter's report, saying that it sounds like the Titans would need "a MONSTER offer" to not draft Ward. With that, the chances of the Giants trading up to the No. 1 pick "seem low."
Update on the No. 1 overall pick: Sounds like it would take a MONSTER offer to get the Titans off Cam Ward. Odds of such a move seem low for the Giants as a result. https://t.co/e8bojhaQhB
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) March 25, 2025
Giants' chances of drafting Cam Ward look even slimmer due to Titans asking price for No. 1 pick
It's hard to fault the Titans here. They looked extremely impressed with Ward during and after Miami's Pro Day on Monday. The Titans are actually set to have an additional private workout with Ward before the NFL Draft. And with a team like the Giants desperate for a quarterback of the future, of course, the Titans would want to set a monster asking price to see they would bite at it.
The Giants ended the Daniel Jones experiment at the midway point last season. As the season progressed, it looked more and more likely that the Giants would land the No. 1 pick. But a strong game all-around game, with a notably great performance by Drew Lock, helped the Giants pick up a win over the Indianapolis Colts. But that win proved to be costly, as they fell all the way down to the No. 3 spot, with two quarterback-needy teams in the Titans and Cleveland Browns ahead of them.
This offseason, the Giants were linked to Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson, with the former taking his time making a decision while the latter is currently waiting on him. In the meantime, the Giants signed Jameis Winston to a two-year, $8 million contract, where he will slot in as a backup, or potentially a bridge option.
As the offseason progresses, it seems likely that the team will target Colorado's Shedeur Sanders with the No. 3 overall pick. It's no secret that the Giants watched Sanders play a lot this past season. But, with the Browns holding the second overall selection, it's not a guarantee that Sanders will be on the board. So, the Giants may be holding their breath throughout the opening night of the NFL Draft.
For Giants fans who were holding out hope for the team to trade up to get Ward, that dream sounds like it's over.