Analyst Believes Titans Could Make Mistake on QB Choice

The Tennessee Titans are just days away from likely making Cam Ward the number one overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Ward is widely viewed as the number one quarterback in this year's class, and the Titans need a signal caller, so the fit makes sense.

However, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. thinks that the Titans should pick Shedeur Sanders over Ward.

"I am higher on Sanders than other evaluators, as he's my QB1 in the class -- even above Miami's Cam Ward. He's tough, accurate and surgical in how he picks apart a defense. He's going to be a very good pro," Kiper writes.

Kiper also mentioned that Sanders and Ward aren't his favorite quarterbacks in the class. That distinction belongs to Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who is projected to be a Day 3 pick.

"Gabriel is a winner. He won 46 of his 63 career starts over time at UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon. There is a lot of good football on his tape. And Gabriel was terrific in 2024, throwing for 3,857 yards with 30 touchdown passes and six interceptions. He also ran in seven scores," Kiper writes.

"At 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, Gabriel is a rhythm passer with pinpoint accuracy and really impressive timing. He sees the field well, makes quick decisions and gets the ball out on time and on target. He completed 72.9% of his throws last season (third in the nation), and he was off target 6.1% of the time (second best). And Gabriel doesn't throw interceptions or turn the ball over. In six seasons, he has never thrown more than seven picks. Gabriel is sort of a poor man's Tua Tagovailoa in the way he plays (and not just because they are both lefties)."

This doesn't mean Gabriel and Sanders are going to be better than Ward in the NFL, but the consensus top pick may not be as surefire of a star as it may seem.