New Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi has a golden ticket in April’s NFL Draft and the latest reports suggest he is prepared to give it up.
With the Combine almost done and dusted, teams are looking to next month and patterns are starting to emerge.
Multiple reports have suggested that Tennessee is willing to entertain bids for the prize first overall pick.
There are at least five franchises — including the Titans — in desperate need of a quarterback.
But the 2025 rookie class is not expected to contain as much talent as previous years, leading to interest in free agents Sam Darnold and Aaron Rodgers.
Shedeur Sanders brings plenty of hype thanks to Hall of Fame dad Deion and has vowed to change the fortunes of whatever team drafts him.
But Miami signal-caller Cam Ward has emerged as the ‘consensus’ QB1, per ESPN Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr.
Sanders is believed to have a safer floor, but the Hurricanes passer offers intriguing upside.
ESPN colleague Dan Graziano has been speaking to executives at the Combine and two teams have emerged as favorites to jump up and hope Ward can fulfil his potential.
The New York Giants and New York Jets are the fourth and fifth most valuable NFL franchises — worth a combined $14.2 billion.
But the $7.3bn Giants have not found a replacement for two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning and the $6.9bn Jets’ Rodgers experiment failed to end the longest active streak with no playoff appearances in American sports (14 seasons).
Both need to find an answer and may be willing to bet their futures to tempt Tennessee into a move.
“A lot of folks believe the Titans are interested in trading out of the top pick, and the Giants and Jets are among the teams believed to be interested in moving up,” reports Graziano.
The Giants missed out on Matthew Stafford, who decided to extend with the Los Angeles Rams, and currently hold the No. 3 pick.
The Jets moved on from Rodgers, who could end up staying in New Jersey and join Big Blue.
General manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn — both signed over the offseason — have the seventh selection.
Ward sat down with both franchises and came away with good vibes.
“Getting a chance to watch their offense, and the players they have — they have Malik [Nabers] and they have a good defense. It’s a lot of similar concepts to what I did in previous years at Incarnate World and Miami,” he said of the Giants.
The 22-year-old was also impressed with the Jets’ weapons, which at the moment include Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams — the latter could well follow Rodgers to his next home.
“Elite — especially with the receiving corps they have, the defense they have,” Ward noted of the Jets. “Talking with their head coach for the first time was exciting. The Jets are not too far off, maybe a couple of pieces, I’m hoping that I can be one of them.”
Like Ward, Sanders opted not to work out at the Combine and will instead throw Colorado’s pro day later this month.
He has been slipping out of the top five in some mock drafts but with so many teams needing help under center, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he and Ward were the first names called in Green Bay.
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